New Beginnings
by CA Alcantar
Summary: The Justice League is dead! The govt. has rid the world of all superpower beings using a monster they created. Throughout the years, the govt. has hidden the existence of the League by making them comic book heroes. The only problem is the monster gets loose. It's up to the reincarnations of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman to try and stop it or will they be stopped first?
1. Prologue

**New Beginnings**

**Prologue (Bloody Endings)**

Batman was kneeling down next to Wonder Woman. He held her unconscious body in one arm. The other arm was loose at the socket. It had broken, scratch that, the monster had broken it. Around them was nothing but debris. That's all that was left of the once great city of Metropolis. There was still so much fire burning everything in sight. And worse for the lungs, so much pitch black smoke.

Batman took off his mask. There was no need for it anymore, everyone knew who he was. There were no longer any secret identities. The people had made sure of that.

The fire was closing in. With the little energy he had left, he picked up Wonder Woman with his good arm and carried her into what remained of the Hall of Justice. Looking through the broken walls, Batman could see the Watchtower in a crater that once was the city's main park. It had been nuked out of orbit, killing all the members on board. Among the ones not onboard were the original seven (Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, and the Flash).

Wonder Woman moaned. She was slowly regaining consciousness. Once she was fully awake, she tried to get up but stopped at the full realization of her pain. It seemed, to her, that most of her ribs were fractured and some even broken. She looked up to see Batman was holding her.

"Sshh," he said to her, "rest, you need it."

That was the last thing on her mind, rest. "Where's Superman?" she asked.

Batman didn't answer right away. He waited. "He's still fighting _it_." He sighed in pain. "None of this was supposed to happen. We were heroes." He wasn't really talking to Wonder Woman but rather to himself.

"It's not your fault, Bruce," she said quietly.

He looked at her. His name sounded so beautiful coming from her voice. "I know. I mean who was to know the people were to turn on us. Eliminate us!" He was remembering all the fallen heroes. The only ones left were Diana, Clark, and him. This was per se had been going on for a few months now. Heroes were slowly disappearing until only the original seven were left. The government created a monster with all their combined abilities to kill them. It proved to be stronger than anything they had ever encountered. Having all their powers, but none of their weaknesses. And worse it was intelligent, it learned, and adapted.

Diana looked Bruce in his eyes that to her never looked so hopeless, broken, and for the first time held tears. The world was slipping from their hands with every passing moment. Bruce was taking this the hardest and she felt his pain. "I love you," she confessed.

Bruce for moment, only a moment, had a twinkle in his blue eyes. He grabbed Diana's hand and brought it up to his cheek. "I love you too." Her hand felt so warm to him. It heated him in places where not even the extreme heat of the flames around them could.

There love was always impossible. Bruce had married Seline Kyle and Diana married Steve Trevor. Even in their situation, though, they always found some time to be together. Of course they were never found together romantically, but as friends.

Batman's com link went off in his ear. "Superman to Batman," Superman said over the statically link. "Do you read me?"  
Batman put his finger to his ear. "Yes I read you. What is your message?"  
Over the link he heard loud screams and punches. Superman panting through the link said, "I…I don't…. think I can… do this any longer—

A yell was heard and then the link died. "Superman! Superman!" Batman yelled into the communicator. When there was no answer, Batman broke the machine in his hand. In his mind, Batman knew the link wasn't the only thing that had died.

Wonder Woman looked at him with concerned eyes. She understood what had happened. Her eyes were tearing but she refused to breakout into a complete sobbing mess.

Bruce looked at her. He was examining her injuries. He knew what they had to do and wanted to make sure her injuries weren't severe enough to hold her back. "We have to go now Diana." He said it hollowly. What he really wanted to tell her was to forget everything and run away together to the end of the world. They could have it all once they renounce their hero lives. Nothing would stop them from starting over and taking on the world together, but sadly he knew that now that would just be a dream.

"I know," Diana said reassuringly. Bruce stood up and offered her his hand to help her get to her feet. Diana grabbed it gently and then tugged him down into a kiss. For a moment everything seemed to be still. The passion in the kiss was to die for. It was sweet, strong, and above all lasting. When the kiss finally broke they just looked each other in the eyes.

Once again Bruce offered Diana his hand. This time she took it to get to her feet. They, however, did not let go of each other. Instead, Diana intertwined her fingers with Bruce's. She pulled him into a hug and whispered into his ear, "This is it, isn't it?"

Bruce using his soft voice answered, "Yes, it's the end." He could feel Diana crying into his shoulder. He started caressing her hair, for the first time feeling sympathy for another human being. He looked straight ahead to the Daily Planet building. It was the only structure still standing. In the distance, he saw the monster. Then in a matter of seconds, he used all his strength to push Diana out of the way.

Diana landed on her back and just barely managed to see the Daily Planet collapsing on Bruce. She couldn't cry she was out of tears. All she felt was her heart sinking into her stomach. She felt like her stomach acid eating away the soft tissue of her broken heart. And that was the worst feeling she had ever felt. Diana turned to see the monster. It stood just a few feet from her. It was over ten feet tall, had charcoal skin, bat like wings, and piercing red eyes.

She jumped for it and it was over. The only thing she could see was blood, her blood. Everything was red, bloody, and warm. Then everything went black and she was reunited with her friends. They never looked happier, because in the end their deaths only led to a better place. She grabbed Bruce's hand and together with the rest of their friends, they walked into the light.


	2. Origins

**Chapter 2 (Origins)**

**A/N This chapter is basically supposed to cover who the three characters are and how their lives have been. I decided to keep their first names even in reincarnation mode, but change their last names so that nobody asks who is who. Their history is going to be very similar to their previous life. Real action will occur in later chapters. Oh and a heads up is that they are still teenagers about to graduate high school. Enjoy.**

40 years later 

Diana sat patiently waiting for her history teacher to assign her two partners and their history project. Her twelfth grade teacher Mr. Palmer was assigning them their final project, which determined one third of their grade. Diana really didn't care what she grade she got on her final, she just wanted to do it with her two best friends Clark and Bruce. Besides, Diana had perfect grades, but not because of her but because she usually manipulated Bruce into doing her homework. Secretly, she had a small crush on him and she was pretty sure he had one on her too. What made everything awkward for them was that most people saw them as siblings given that they both had the same blue eyes, pitch black hair, and fair skin. Clark was also no exception; he too looked very similar to them. What set them apart were their personalities.

Diana was the head cheerleader, a gymnast, acrobat, and held a black belt in karate. She was always striving to be the best with her best possible attitude. She never did forget to smile to people. And what a smile it was. People always said that her smile was a treasure chest of shiny white pearls. Everybody adored her. Boys wanted her and girls wanted to be her.

Clark, very similar to Diana, had an upbeat attitude. He always looked for the best in people and similarly tried to be his best. Clark was the quarterback and the captain of the football team. Apart from that he did basketball, baseball, and wrestling. He was a full blown jock. In terms of knowledge, though, he wasn't the best student. He wasn't the worst either; Clark was with the majority of pupils who went to school. He unlike Diana did not manipulate Bruce into doing his homework. He felt bad for doing that and figured that Bruce was well aware of what Diana was doing. Clark always sensed there was something else between them.

Bruce, knowingly, was the smartest student in the school. Well not just the school but from what he's heard teachers say the entire state and maybe the country. Bruce however did not go all out in school. He of course had perfect grades and did do a few extracurricular activities like science, chess, and psychology. His teachers always told him to do more. They requested that he do academic decathlon, astronomy, debate, etc. He always denied saying that he did other things outside of school. He wasn't lying, he in fact studied seven forms of martial arts and his favorite thing of all was to watch people. Bruce, in addition, was not the most social kid. He sort of hated people in general and really only had Diana and Clark as friends. He kept to himself and never showed any emotion. Everyone thought of him as the loner kid, but since when did he give a shit, never.

"Miss Spencer," Mr. Palmer spoke up, "you will be assigned to work with," he looked at his clipboard, "let me see who's left." Diana was holding her breath.

_Bruce and Clark, oh please let it be Bruce and Clark_, Diana kept her fingers crossed. She felt herself heating up and relaxed a little.

"Ah here we go Miss Spencer," Mr. Palmer continued, "you will be working with Mr. Gaius (Bruce) and Mr. Sandow (Clark)." Diana sighed in relief. What a stroke of luck. "Ok you three will be doing research on our very own NovaCity." NovaCity was if not obvious yet the city they lived in which was located on the east coast of the United States. It symbolized everything the country stood for, peace, justice, liberty, and above all new beginnings. The name NovaCity actually translates over to New City. It was named NovaCity a few years back. Nobody really knows why or remembers the old name. All they know is that the city wasn't always the pride of the country. It used to be dark and filled with criminals. Now, though, the city had a say for which it was quite famous for, _Novus Initium_ translating to New Beginning the city's model and way of life. It meant that there could always be a fresh start, a new beginning.

Diana turned to Clark and Bruce who were sitting a few seats behind. She gestured with her eyes which by then they both knew what she meant. She wanted to talk to them after school. Both Bruce and Clark were pretty sure it was going to be about how the project would be done. Clark knew they would spend endless hours at the public library because of Bruce's reluctance to use computers for homework assignments. He knew that Bruce did use computers probably even more than the average person but just not for homework. He had some moral codes that he abided to and would not break under any circumstances. He could be so stubborn sometimes.

"Ok," Mr. Palmer looked at his watch, "looks like we have a good twenty minutes left before the day ends so get in groups with your partners and discuss _only_ the project." He knew the students wouldn't do that, but he just needed them to know he was still the teacher. Diana, Bruce, and Clark were relocating to a spot in the back of the classroom when Mr. Palmer called them over. "Mr. Gaius, Mr. Sandow, Miss Spencer please come to see me in my office." Mr. Palmer being one of the youngest teachers in the school for some reason was very formal with his students addressing them either as Mr. or Miss.

The three students got out of their seats and followed Mr. Palmer into his office. They exchanged glance trying to figure out what was going on, but all of them were clueless. The office was very small and only had a desk, one chair that Mr. Palmer occupied, and a cabinet were he kept his document. The teens just stared him, unsure of what to say.

Mr. Palmer looked at them with big eyes and a sly smile. "Relax it looks like you kids think I'm going bite or something."

"So what did you call us in here for?" Bruce demanded. He was very quick to get to the point. Already his patience was becoming thin.

Mr. Palmer's smile went away for a second at Bruce's tone, but returned shortly after. "I have been asked to congratulate you three for your achievement."

"Achievement, what achievement?" Diana asked puzzled.

"All three of you are going to be our Valid Victorians at our school's graduation this year. It's actually remarkable. This is the first time this school has had a three way tie for Valid Victorian since it became a public facility."

"Pass," Bruce was already walking out the door. Diana was about to walk over to him but Clark stopped her saying that they would talk to him after school. Mr. Palmer before letting them go made them promise that they would change Bruce's mind and accept the position. The way he said it made it seem like it was a true honor. After they agreed the bell rang and they all went home.

Later That Day—Bruce's House

Daphne, Bruce's nanny and maid, was getting ready for his arrival. She was an old woman of age sixty but still looked young and strong for her age. Bruce had called her, telling her that he was bringing guests to the house. He needed not to say any more, she knew who would be coming. She knew pretty much everything about Bruce; she practically raised him after his parents died. She thought of him as a son and sometimes felt that he thought of her as a mother. Daphne was setting the plates at the long extravagant dinner table. She set out the good china. It became customary of her to treat his only two friends as royalty even though one of them really was.

Bruce parked his jet black Ferrari in front of his mansion. He was in a rush to get started on the project, Clark and Diana had been bothering the whole ride to his house to please do the Valid Victorian thing with them. He got out of the car and walked the steps up to the front door. Diana and Clark quickly followed. Bruce struggled to get his key in and Diana took that opportunity to ask him again.

"Please Bruce just do it," she pleaded holding her hands together.

"No," he said dryly.

"And why not?" Diana asked her hands now on her hips. She was getting mad and Bruce knew that when Diana got mad it only made her more persistent.

"Because," Bruce stammered, "I wasn't going to go in the first place."

Clark now interested asked, "You weren't. How come?" He pitched up an eye brow.

Bruce unlocked the door and walked inside. He made his way through the living room to the dining room. The two were hot on his trail.

Clark coughed expecting an answer.

"I don't know. There's no reason for me to go. I don't have parents to join me and that's what everyone really goes for." He grabbed a picture of his family and held it to his chest. God he missed them so much. He remembered the day of their death. They were on their way to the theater. Bruce was sitting in the back seat of the car and his parents were up front. He was only nine years old. Some lunatic who was drunk driving crashed into them sending them spiraling into an alley. His parents died on impact and the firefighters barely managed to get him out before the car exploded. Since then he has been under the care of Daphne. To this day Bruce remembers the memory like it happened yesterday and most awkwardly he remembers the first thing he saw after being pulled out of the car. He saw the sign post that labeled the alley. It haunts him at night, Crime Alley. It was ironic to him that a crime, even as a low crime like drunk driving, happened to him and in that precise location.

Diana feeling sorrow hugged Bruce and took the picture from his hands. She looked at him and then looked at the picture. "They would want you to do it. And don't try and say they wouldn't because what parent wouldn't want their child to not attend their own high school graduation."

There was no right answer for that.

"Plus you're not the only one whose parents aren't going," Clark spoke. Clark was also orphaned in a way. He never knew his parents. He only knew they were scientists and died in an experiment gone wrong. His aunt and uncle raised him on their farm outside of town. They took very good care of him and he loved them like he would his parents.

"So please Bruce, please," Diana begged with a smile on her face. Bruce looked at her. She was so beautiful, so full of life. He thought her smile could stop traffic. There was no way he could refuse her. But at the same time he could not let her know what he felt for her.

"Ok," Bruce gave in. "I'll do it." Diana cheered and Clark just smiled. "Now let's eat." They sat down and Daphne brought in their meals. She greeted Diana and Clark kindly and they returned the courtesy.

After their meal, they went into the study and started their research for their project. Time passed and passed, but they couldn't find anything on the city that didn't go back any more than twenty years. Their history access was very limited even in Bruce's large library. It got to such a point that Bruce caved in and decided to use a computer. But even that proved to be useless. The internet had nothing on the city either. Apparently someone went to some extent to hide the history of the city before its change.

It was getting late and Bruce knew he still had to drop Diana and Clark off at their individual homes. "Look you guys," he yawned, "this is obviously getting us nowhere."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Clark asked hoping the answer wasn't what he thought it was.

"We should spend the weekend at the library going through the old archives." It was exactly what Clark thought.

"Fine," both Diana and Clark agreed.

Bruce shortly after took them home dropping Diana off first because she didn't live too far away and then Clark. He had to drive all the way to the city limits to drop him off. Then when he got home, he went straight to bed.

Diana Mansion—Middle of the Night

Diana had also gone straight to bed as soon as she arrived to her house. Her house was far bigger than Bruce's and much more extravagant. Too much Diana thought, especially when it only housed two people and the occasional servants. Her mother Helena was an aristocrat from Wales and was related to the royal family. They lived here because their mother was the ambassador of Wales and it was far easier for her to stay in the states than have to travel here every time she had a meeting. Diana never knew her father. Her mother had told her that he was abusive and that one day he left to be with another woman. Since then, her mother has never been with another man, claiming that they are evil and that she hates them. Diana knows that is not true or else she wouldn't allow Bruce and Clark to visit her daughter.

Around two at night, Diana started shaking and trembling in her sleep. She had been having strange dreams lately. They weren't exactly nightmares but carried the same sense.

In her dream, she was alone in a dark place she could not describe due to lack of anything being there. She felt cold and as like she was being watched. It was the same thing she had been dreaming before. It always ended the same way, with a monster that was ten feet tall, had charcoal colored skin, bat like wings, and piercing red eyes. This time she was prepared and didn't get scared when the image presented itself. She looked at it head on and stood unfazed. After the monster disappeared she let out a sigh of relief and waited to wake up like she always did afterwards. Several minutes passed and she was still asleep and that eerie feel of being watched was still around her. Diana paced around the dark place she was in, noticing that even though there was nothing there, everything looked so vivid like she was awake. She felt like this was real life and started to panic.

Diana ran around trying to wake herself up. She came to a halt at the sight of two blue eyes floating in front of her. She stood frozen in place, afraid to move. Suddenly at a shocking speed, the eyes sprouted a full body. It was bright, shiny, and gold. Now that Diana got a full look at him, she relaxed. It was a benign looking man dressed in gold armor, with a gold cape, and matching gold helmet that had two holes where his bright blue eyes popped out from.

"Who are you?" Diana asked.

"That does not matter," the mysterious man said in a very deep yet soft voice.

"So then what do you want?" Diana was very hesitant to get to the bottom of this. "Have you been sending me images of that monster?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because that monster is intertwined with your destiny. You will be strong." Diana had no idea what he meant by _you will be strong_ but didn't have a chance to ask. The man said something she could only classify as gibberish and then shot a gold beam of light at her. It woke her up instantly. She rolled out of bed and landed uncomfortably on her back. Ouch. Diana, despite what just happened, was not afraid to go back to sleep. She got up and went back under the covers, saying that if he showed himself again that she would just beat him to a pulp.

**A/N Ok, hope you enjoyed the chapter. For those wondering, I chose their last names for specific reasons. Diana I gave the last name of Princess Diana of Wales. Clark I gave him the last name of Eugen Sandow a bodybuilder recognized as the founder of modern bodybuilding. And as for Bruce, I chose his last name Gaius because it was the first name of Julius Caesar who turned out to be an orphan, so I figured it fits. Thank you to those who read the story.**  



	3. The Project

**Chapter 3 (The Project)**

**A/N Brief summary is that this chapter is going to cover the history of the city. Fair warning the history will not be exactly spilled out to you until the next chapter but in a way it is mentioned. A secret will be revealed. Oh and I am setting a poll. It will ask if you, the readers, wish for the rest of the founding members to be reincarnated into the story also. So please if you wish to vote it will be set on my page. Thank you for all the reviews, which I hope keep coming, and enjoy.**

The Next Day—P.E. Class

It was Friday, the best day of the week in Clark's opinion. He and Diana had P.E. together, while Bruce had calculus. P.E was fairly easy, being that the only thing you had to do was show up. The teachers really didn't care what you did afterwards so long as you weren't sitting down. Since the school was an indoor school, the gym was located at the far back to give it access to the football field. Most of the students stayed indoors, not wanting to go out in the fields, but as for Clark and Diana, they usually went outside to practice with their teams.

Diana had explained to Clark that she was having strange dreams and that last night a man who she knew could not be brought up by her subconscious came to her. In the midst of explaining her dilemma to him, he had interrupted her and confessed that he too had been having similar dreams and that last night a man that looked exactly like she had described also came to him. Diana told him that the man had closed their conversation saying _you will be strong _and Clark said that the man told him _you will be invincible_. They decided they would have to talk about it with Bruce who knew more psychology than them. Surely, they thought that there would be some connection or at least logical answer.

Clark after talking to Diana went to go practice football with his teammates that also shared P.E. with him, leaving her to practice cheerleading with her group. Diana, being head cheerleader was always the top of the pyramid, but today she felt generous and let one of the girls who was usually the bottom to take her place. They were doing their routine while chanting their school's song when the girls started flipping backwards into the pyramid. Diana being at the bottom did not have to flip but was expected to keep a firm stance on the ground. The girls quickly piled up on her, and for some reason Diana couldn't explain they felt almost completely weightless to her. Unfortunately, the same did not go for the girl next to her. Her fellow cheerleader was struggling under the weight and fell to the ground causing the pyramid to tumble. This was a catastrophe in the making. The pyramid had six girls at the bottom and decreased by one until it hit one so imagine the fall of the top girl.

With quick reflexes, Diana jumped abnormally high and caught the girl she allowed to take her place at the top. She saved her from any injury with exceptional grace. When she set her down, Diana noticed that all eyes were on her. It took her a moment to come to the full terms of what she had just done. So to everyone else it just seemed inexplicably. But like as if on cue, everybody surrounded and congratulated her. They were practically at her feet praising her. Diana was already used to this type of attention but at the moment it just seemed unnecessary. She quickly found a way of escape and ran towards Clark. He embraced her and led her to somewhere where they could talk.

They snuck into a janitor's closet in the nearest hallway. The walls and floors were filled with an exaggerated amount of cleaning tools, given that for some reason the school never really looked that clean. Immediately they felt the how cramp the small room was.

"What happed?" Clark asked. "How'd you do that?"

Diana was shaking from nerves. "I don't know," she mumbled. "I just did it…"

"Diana people just don't do those things like they're normal." She looked at him like she would Bruce when he replied with such a smartass comment. "Normal people don't just jump eight feet in the air and catch a person."

Diana cocked her eyes. "What are you trying to say? That I'm not normal." She pouted and turned around.

Outside of NovaCity High School—Same Time as the Cheerleading Practice

An old blond lady was taking her daily walk around the neighborhood. She was average height given her ancient age of around seventy and had the bluest eyes one would see in such an elderly. She was dressed in silk and had diamond earrings on. She cradled a black in her arms. She was caressing it when something caught her attention. A girl was falling off of the top of a human pyramid. She knew that if she was younger, she would have still had her cat like reflexes and would have been able to help. To her surprise, her help was not needed. Another young girl leapt into the air and caught her.

The woman stood baffled. The girl leapt eight feet in the air. _Impossible_ she thought. She dropped her cat unknowingly and kept her eyes locked on the dark haired girl. The cat started nibbling on her tights, begging to be carried again. The woman ignored it. _I have got to inform the others about this_. She made a mental image of the girl and picked up her cat. Already she was planning. She knew word would get out soon and when that happened trouble would be at her doorstep.

After School—Public Library

Diana, Bruce, and Clark were to meet at the local library. They were determined on getting to the bottom of the city's missing history, or at least Bruce was. He got there an hour earlier than them and had already gone through all the history books. He set them on the table in chronological order and studied them. He had already read the same pages over and over but couldn't believe that he hadn't found anything useful. It was becoming obvious to him that this assignment was not just a coincidental mistake. Mr. Palmer wanted them to find out something but what. And more importantly why?

"Hey Bruce," Clark yelled out forgetting that he was in a library. He and Diana had walked in holding milkshakes in their hands. They walked up to the table Bruce was at. "Sorry we're late but _Diana_ wanted to buy us milkshakes." Diana elbowed him in the ribs. "Ouch. But do we have a story to tell you. Don't we _Diana_?" She elbowed him again. Clark rubbed his ribs swearing that Diana had broken them.

Diana handed Bruce over his milkshake. He accepted it, knowing the only reason she bothered to buy them was because she knew this was going to be an all-nighter. "So how's the research going?" Diana asked, brightly. She saw that he had an ordered stack of books and expected that he'd say that he had already done half the assignment in their absence.

"Bad," he replied to Diana's surprise.

"What why?" Diana practically spilled her shake.

Bruce sighed. "These books are no better than the ones I have back home." He paused, dramatically. Something he accustomed to do so to keep people hooked to what he was saying. "I think we hit a dead end."

Diana paced around the table for several minutes, thinking. She snapped her fingers. "Well what about the archives? There has to be some useful information there."

"Nope I already asked the librarian. She says it's prohibited." Bruce shook his head. Clark and Diana just smiled. "What?" Bruce asked somewhat coldly.

"Follow us," Clark grabbed Bruce by his arm.

They hid in the back of the library until it was closing time. As accustomed, the librarian did a last minute check of all the aisles. Clark hid behind a shelf leaning against a wall, since in stealth; he was not nearly as good as Bruce or Diana. The other two, knowing martial arts, hid on top of the book cases and jumped from one to another when the librarian got close. Thankfully, the inspection was quick and she left in a matter of minutes.

Bruce and Diana jumped off of the bookcases and Clark came out from hiding. They immediately headed to the back door that led to the basement. They were presented by a problem. It was locked. _Damn_ Bruce cursed himself.

As if reading his mind, Diana said, "Not a problem." She grabbed the handle and broke it loose. Bruce gave her a stunned looked when she acted like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"What?" Diana asked noticing Bruce's face.

"How?" he asked conspicuously.

"I'll explain later," she answered. He gave her a concerned look. "I promise." She crossed her heart.

Clark rolled his eyes. "God, just tell him now. I mean the bit we know. Come on go ahead." He crossed his arms. Diana didn't speak. "Ok fine I'll tell him." He looked Bruce straight in the eyes with all the seriousness in the world. "Diana and I have been having these dreams of a monster with red eyes. It's really scary but what is scarier is that last night some golden guy came to us and in a way said we were part of a prophecy of some sort. Well that's what we have been able to conclude, now that Diana has super strength."

Bruce made his own connection. He too had been having the same dreams. That's one of the reasons he started taking psychology in the first place. He specifically remembered the man telling him _you will be intelligent_ but that's something he already knew. Now there were two things he had to do, finish the project and analyze their dreams. And something told him he was going to have to do it himself; Diana would try to help and Clark is no help. "Well talk about our dreams later." He decided to say.

It hit Diana that Bruce had also had the same dreams but given his reply she left the subject at bay. They instead walked down the stairs into a mess of cobwebs and dust. Immediately they started pushing the cobwebs aside and coughing from the dust.

"I don't think anyone has been down here in ages," Clark pointed out the obvious.

_You think_ Bruce wanted to say with all the sarcasm he could muster but settled on, "Come on we have work to do." They walked up to some stone coffin like things attached to the ground. They were the only things in the room, other than garbage and old paintings that were deteriorating. "This must be where the city's history is stored," Bruce said pointing to one of the coffins. He tried to lift it open but found that the top was too heavy for him. He gasped in desperation after several failed attempts. He turned around and saw that Diana and Clark were just staring at him. He sent them a glare that said _what the fuck are you just standing there for_ and they quickly got the message.

Diana knowing she was probably the strongest of them all said, "Step aside boys, this is a woman's job." She gathered her new found strength and tried to lift up the top. It wouldn't budge but she was persistent. After moments of continuous trying she finally managed to move it just an inch. Clark couldn't help but laugh making Diana fluster with anger. "I want to you try!" she yelled at him, arms on her thighs.

Clark looked unsure but decided to give it a try any ways. He was scared that Diana would laugh at him because surely if she couldn't lift it then neither could he. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Ok." Clark grabbed the top and to everyone's surprise, he lifted the thing with ease. He was so shocked himself, that he almost dropped it on Bruce. It would have hit him if Diana hadn't pulled him out of the way.

"Careful," Diana said both to Clark and Bruce.

Bruce ignoring the other two who started bickering on who's stronger started looking through the coffin. It looked like it was just a bunch of books. _Good maybe they're history books_, Bruce thought. He pulled some of them out and cleared the dust off of them. "No," he said first in his head and then out loud. He caught both Diana's and Clark's attention.

"What?" they asked simultaneously.

"They're just a bunch of comic books," Bruce sounded confused. They couldn't just be comic books. This had to be some sort of mistake.

"Really?" Clark asked excitedly. "What kind?" Clark loved comic books and so did Bruce and Diana. In fact, their favorite ones were the ones about the Justice League. That was one of the reasons they became friends in the first place. Since they shared the same first names as the characters, they felt a special connection.

Clark knelt down next to Bruce and started going through the comic books. "Sweet they're Justice League. I wonder if they have the last issue. I never got it but I'm sure they have it here."

Diana looked at Bruce who seemed to be lost in thought. She couldn't help but wonder what was on his mind. She placed her hand on his shoulder and asked, "What's wrong?"  
"None of this makes sense."

"What doesn't make sense?"

"The books, the lack of historical history, the dreams, your guys' powers. It is normal!"

Clark skimming through the comic books with great enthusiasm came to a halt. He yelled, almost screamed. He threw the book on the floor and scurried to his friends, who were by then on their guard.

"What happened?" Bruce asked grabbing on to his friend.

"It's him," Clark gave as an answer. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Who?" Bruce asked, while Diana went up to get the book.

"The man from our dreams," Diana answered for Clark. She held the page out to show it to Bruce. He recognized him immediately. It was a superhero. How could he not have remembered him before? It was Dr. Fate. The connection was obvious; he wore the all gold costume. Bruce hit his forehead for his stupidity.

Bruce walked up to Diana and took hold of the book. He needed to know more about this hero. He rapidly skimmed through the pages when a note fell out. Diana went to pick it up. She unfolded it in her arms and read it out loud. "Property of B.W. If found please return to 1007 Mountain Drive." She flipped the paper over to see if there was more written on it. There was nothing else. "Isn't that the address to the city's museum?"

"Yes," Bruce answered making another connection. "That museum probably holds the answers to our questions. I remember reading somewhere that the museum used to be a house, a manor to be precise. It belonged to someone who was very important in the city before it changed its name."

"Who did the house belong to?" Clark asked calmly.

"I don't know," Bruce replied, "but I'm positive if the answer is anywhere it's in that museum. Come on let's go." It was already late, but Bruce didn't give them much of a choice. He was going to get to the bottom of this. When something sparked his curiosity, he turned into the world's greatest detective.

**A/N Ok the chapter didn't turn out as long as I wanted it but it'll have to do. My apologies if it isn't turning out to everybody's liking. Promise I'll ** **update soon though. Thank again for reading.**


	4. History in the Making

**Chapter 4 (History in the Making)**

**A/N Brief summary the chapter will reveal the name of the city before it was changed. I'm sure that by now most of you reading this already took a guess at it and probably guessed it right. That is I'm pretty sure I had made it obvious but if I haven't it doesn't really matter. Oh and most likely I will introduce a villain. Heads up I created this villain based on existing DC characters. To be clearer, the villain will be the child of existing DC characters. Enjoy.**

Same Night—NovaCity Museum

Bruce arrived before Diana and Clark. He drove his Ferrari there while Clark rode with Diana in her Rolls Royce. Clark didn't own a car but Diana usually let him drive hers. In fact, she was the one who taught him to drive. He would have asked Bruce, but knowing him, Clark knew that Bruce would hunt him to the far corners of the world if he even touched his car without him being around let alone drive it.

Bruce stayed in his car until he saw his friends arrive. _Took them long enough_ he thought. He unbuckled his seat belt and grabbed his Swiss Army Knife. Ever since Bruce was a little kid, he liked using gadgets. Heck, he even made some of his own but because he didn't know their search would end up here he wasn't exactly prepared. The best he could do at the moment was his knife. He cursed himself for not being prepared.

Diana and Clark saw that Bruce arrived before them. They parked next to him and exited the vehicle. They met with Bruce in front of the museum. He was studying the door. Diana couldn't help but notice how beautiful the museum was. She figured that whoever the owner was before had great taste. She looked at Clark who was asking Bruce what he was doing.

"I'm unlocking the door," Bruce answered him.

"Why when I can just break the lock," Clark retorted.

"We don't want anybody to know we broke in here," Bruce backfired and then followed with a look that said _don't you think before you talk_. Diana giggled into her hand. Bruce slipped his knife into the keyhole and twisted it. He moved it around for a few seconds until he heard a click. Well rather, Clark heard a click and told Bruce it was open. "How do you know?" Bruce asked him.

"Didn't you hear the click?" Clark asked him. Bruce shook his head.

"I did," Diana spoke, "it was abnormally loud though for being a click."  
Bruce refrained from rolling his eyes. They would eventually get to the bottom of their new found powers. But that would be set aside for later. He pushed the door open and they walked in cautiously. Besides all the vases and antiquities, it still looked like a regular house.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Clark asked.

Bruce continued walking. "Anything that doesn't look normal."

They stayed in a group until Bruce suggested they split up. Diana and Clark went upstairs, each one going in the opposite direction. Bruce, on the other hand stayed downstairs.

Diana entered what appeared to have been the master bedroom. It was filled with priceless artifacts that didn't appear to be from the city. They looked like they were from around the whole globe. She figured that everything of value that the house had before was set into this one single room. Diana started going through boxes that were lying around and basically rummaging through everything. She was however careful to put everything back to how it was. After she thought she went through everything in the room, she headed for the door. On the last board she stepped on she stopped. It squeaked unnaturally. She was going to ignore it but annoyingly step on it again causing it to squeak louder.

Diana annoyed stomped on the board breaking it in half. "Oh no!" she almost yelled but covered her mouth. She bent over and cleared the mess she made. Underneath the broken board she found a jewelry box. She looked at it like it was a bomb, making sure that there was nothing wrong with it. Deciding it was safe and that nobody owned it due to being hidden, she kept it. Right when she was about to open it, she heard Clark call her name. She quickly made her way to where he was. "What?" she asked while holding her box in hand.

"Look what I found," he said holding up a book.

"A book, that's what you called me in here for?"

Clark opened the book to the last page. "It's not just any book. Look it says right here Property of Bruce Wayne."

"What?" Diana questioned now interested in what he had to say. She ripped the book out of his hands and looked at the print. "This is impossible. Bruce Wayne is a comic book character. This book couldn't have belonged to him."

"See that's what I thought too but then I read a few of the pages. It's not a book but a journal."

"Your point is?"

"Why would someone go to the trouble of writing a journal about someone who doesn't exist?"

Diana put on a pensive face. "So you're assuming this book is real?"

"Yes look it even has dates. And guess what the last date is?"

"What?"

"The last date is from forty years ago. This means that this book has history from the city before it changed its name. And you know what that means?"

"What?" Diana asked excitedly.

"We're going to get an 'A' on Mr. Palmer's project. Oh Bruce would be so proud. Come on lets go brag about it to him." They got up and went to go look for Bruce ignorant of what they just found.

Bruce was walking around the bottom floor careful not to break something. He saw an old grandfather clock and leaned in to get a closer look of it. While leaning, Clark yelled out his name and he tripped, fell on the clock's side, and pushed it off to the left. "Clark!" Bruce yelled rubbing his head.

Bruce came into Clark's view and he ran up to help him to his feet. Bruce pushed his offering hands away but Clark just picked him up regardless.

Diana seeing as how Clark was helping Bruce spotted the entering that was behind the clock and walked in. Not two steps went by, before she tripped on a wire. She landed with a loud thump and as if on cue, Bruce and Clark ran to go help her.

"Are you ok?" Bruce asked pushing Clark out of the way.

Diana looked at him while rubbing her behind. She saw a concerned look in his eyes. "Yes," she replied getting up by herself. It was too perfect. Now she knew that Bruce felt something for her. Slowly she planned on how to get him to open up to her. "I wasn't looking. Clumsy me."

They walked into the chamber not knowing what to expect. As they progressed further in, they noticed that it wasn't a room or a basement but a whole complex cave. "Wow," Clark awed as he saw a giant computer monitor in front of him.

Bruce took notice of the dust and cobwebs. From the lack of cleaning he could tell no one had been down there in a long time. So basically he was free to do what he pleased. He went to sit in the chair in front of the computer.

Clark heard footsteps and something being thrown at them. He only managed to yell, "Bruce!" before an object went flying straight for him.

Seconds before sitting down, Bruce's killer instincts kicked in and he turned around catching a blade in midair. His face remained unchanged, it stayed serious. Clark and Diana on the other hand were shocked. They heard feminine laughing and then clapping.

"I knew it. I knew it." A voice said in the shadows.

"Who's there?" Bruce demanded to know.

An elderly woman came into the light. She was dressed all in black. Her eyes were a deeply profound blue and her hair a bright blond. She had on metal nails and carried with her a black cat. She walked up to them casually, taking her time with her model like steps. "I knew you had it in you. Just like before." She said to Bruce.

Bruce looked at the woman in front of him. She was smiling at him. It seemed vaguely familiar but he couldn't quite remember where he had seen that smile before. "Who are you?"

"Selina Kyle," she answered offering him her hand. He denied it. "Still stubborn as ever I see. Not even the gods were strong enough to take that away from you."

"What are you talking about?" Diana asked the lady. To her Selina deemed mentally unstable.

"You're Catwoman," Bruce interrupted Diana's question.

"You remember me," Selina smiled. "Tell me what else do you kids remember about your past lives?" She sat down in the chair that Bruce was going to sit in.

"Past lives? Lady you have got to be kidding me." Clark spoke.

"Yah how did you even find us?" Diana asked.

"Oh you don't know yet," Selina looked past them.

"Don't know what exactly?" Diana asked.

"I was sure Fate would have told you," Selina said to herself unbeknownst that the teens could hear her. She turned to look at them. "Well gather around kids. It's time for a story on history."

"What?" Bruce asked. "Are you going to tell us how the city's original name was Gotham? Or was it that the original owner of this house was Bruce Wayne?"

Selina opened her mouth in awe. "You haven't lost your touch Bruce."

"I'm sorry." Clark interrupted. "Other than there being a crazy cat woman here, I don't know what you guys are talking about."

"Yah me either," Diana added. "Mind explaining?"

Selina stood up and set the cat on the floor. She heard sirens in the distance and knew that the authorities were coming. "Sorry I can't but Bruce obviously already figured out most of it. Now I suggest we leave before the cops show up." She started walking towards the exit. "Don't worry I'll explain later."

"Wait!" Clark yelled. "How do we find you?"

Selina stopped at the top of the stairs and turned in their direction. She smiled showing her perfect white teeth. "You don't. I'll find you." Instantly she threw a smoke screen in front of herself and when it cleared she was gone.

"You forgot your cat!" Diana yelled, picking up the black kitty. Clark broke out laughing. Bruce wanted to but didn't.

Bruce turned back to the computer and turned it on. The screen displayed a message.

**They already deleted all the memory. –Catwoman**

"Come on let's go," Bruce announced. "We don't want the cops to arrest us for breaking into a museum."

Bruce's Manor—Thirty Minutes Later

Diana and Clark decided to spend the weekend at Bruce's place. They called their worried guardians and convinced them to let them spend the night. Daphne only had time to make up one guest bedroom so Clark was forced to stay with Bruce in his quarters. There was no way Daphne was going to allow either of the boys to share a room with Diana, so she gave her the made up guestroom.

After changing into some pajamas, Diana headed over to Bruce's room to bid the guys a good night. She expertly guided herself through the house avoiding Daphne at all times.

Bruce looked away from Clark who was changing into a pair of pajama shorts and turned to face the door.

"Dude, why do you look away?" Clark asked. "We're both guys and it's not like we're going to do anything." Bruce did not honor his question with a response. "Suit yourself, but I get the bed."

Bruce quickly turned to face him. "Not happening."

Clark walked up to him. "Wanna arm wrestle for it?"

Bruce was about to retort but Diana knocked on the open door. "Can I come in?" she asked rhetorically and then walked in catching a glance at Clark half naked before covering her eyes. "Hey cover up Clark!" Even though shut her eyes; she couldn't get the image of his body out of her head. He was ripped or at least well cut. He had abs, great pecks, and biceps.

"What?" Clark asked opening his arms. "You've never seen a guy half naked before?" He started walking towards Diana.

"No," Diana answered not looking at him. "And-

She was cut off when Clark pulled her into a tight hug. Bruce dropped his jaw in envy, shutting it quickly before anyone saw. He squint his eyes in anger and stiffened like a log. Unknowingly to Bruce, Clark noticed his reaction over his shoulder but decided to wait until Diana left to speak with him. Until then Clark decided to bug Bruce even more. He let go of Diana but kissed her on the cheek before letting her pass by him.

Diana slightly blushed. "What was that for?" She was no longer concerned about the half-naked boy standing in front of her.

Clark shrugged his shoulders. "Because I like you." Bruce's heart skipped a beat and miraculously Clark heard it. He decided to relieve Bruce of some of his tension. "You know like the sister I never had."

"Oh," Diana replied sheepishly. "Likewise." She returned the kiss to Clark. Bruce turned away feeling like a third wheel in his own room. She walked over to Bruce who was still had not changed clothing. "I actually came here so we could talk about Catwoman but we should probably discuss it in the morning." Diana yawned.

"That would probably be the best," Bruce refused to face them.

Diana noticed his tension and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "Goodnight," she said walking out the door.

"Goodnight," Bruce whispered back, holding his hand where Diana's lips had been. He felt that he could cherish that moment forever but then Clark slammed the door closed when Diana left and jumped onto Bruce's large king size bed wrecking his moment. "Get off now," Bruce ordered.

"But Bruce-

"Now!" Bruce raised his voice.

"No," Clark said calmly. He moved to the middle of the bed and crossed his arms.

"Do I have to move you myself?" Bruce asked making his way towards Clark.

"Try and I'll tell Diana your secret."  
"What secret? I don't have any secrets." He stopped right in front of Clark. Using his cold glare, Bruce tried to eye him down.

"Don't act like as if you don't know?" Clark sat up in the bed. Bruce didn't answer. "You like Diana."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Bruce started to walk away but Clark grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the bed.

"Talk," Clark ordered holding Bruce tightly in his grip.

Bruce sighed, giving in. "Fine you can sleep on my bed." Clark smiled, letting Bruce go. He knew Bruce wouldn't admit the truth so this was as good as it was going to get. "But stay on that side," Bruce pushed Clark to the far left. "And you speak of this to no one."

"Ok," Clark agreed rolling to his side. He watched Bruce go into his bathroom and come back out dressed in an outfit similar to his. _Insecure little monster_, Clark thought to himself. When in reality Bruce had nothing to be insecure about. He too was in just as great shape as Clark, if not better.

Bruce rolled into his side of the bed and instantly went to sleep. He turned his back on Clark the whole night.

Unknown Location—Same Time

A man sat in his office staring at a laptop screen. He was watching footage from a video surveillance set up in the NovaCity Museum. Some girl had discovered the entrance to a cave he thought nobody would ever enter or ever find. To further dissatisfy, she was not alone but had two other kids with her. Good thing he had set a tripwire long ago when he first discovered the cave.

The man waited until he heard a window creak. His guest had arrived.

"Come in," he said pushing his brown bangs out of his face.

A twenty something year old woman came out of the shadows. She wore a black leather costume that resemble Catwoman's mantle, except that it didn't have the ears and her black hair flowed out of it. Around her waist was a silver utility belt with a black whip hanging from it. Her fingers, like Catwoman, had claws on them. Except that her claws couldn't recline and were made out of diamond in comparison to Catwoman's metal ones. "What do you want?" she asked.

"No hello, how very informal of you Shadow," the man spoke. She glared at him with her green eyes. "Fine," he continued. "I need you to take care of these kids for me." He handed her a picture of the three teenagers.

She examined the picture closely, taking in every detail of the seemingly harmless teens. "What's in it for me?"

"Whatever it is that your heart desires."

"Good," she said taking a step back out the window. "I'll tell you what I want when I bring them to you."

"Of course."

**A/N Ok I know I didn't update as fast as I planned but in my defense the internet bill was not paid. But on a brighter note I introduced two villains. It's like hitting two birds with one stone. So no promises but I'm pretty sure I can sneak some action in on the next chapter. Thank you all for reading and please review.**


	5. Relationships

**Chapter 5 (Relationships)**

**A/N Brief summary is the chapter is meant to cover the growing relationship between the characters. It will revolve mostly around Diana and Bruce near the end. I'd like to thank you all for reading. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

Diana woke up before Bruce and Clark, so being the responsible person she was, she decided to help Daphne prepare breakfast. Of course, first she took her shower and got dressed.

While she was heading downstairs, she remembered about the cat that she had brought with her. Where did she leave it, no idea? Diana started running back upstairs to look for it. She was just about to reenter her guest bedroom when she heard a soft meow back downstairs. Slowly, Diana made her way into the kitchen, where Daphne was feeding the cat milk. She approached the woman softly trying not to disturb you.

"Got up early I see," Daphne said without seeing her.

"Um yes," Diana choked. "I was wondering if you need help with breakfast."

Daphne stood up gracefully and looked Diana in the face with the warm smile of what someone could mistake of that of a grandmother's. "Of course, I could always use a pair of extra hands. Isn't that right Isis?"

"Isis?" Diana asked.

Daphne noticed Diana had no idea who Isis was so she pointed to the cat. "I see she's not yours."

"No," Diana admitted.

"Pity, she's really something special. Not like other cats, this one is well different. It must have belonged to someone special."

"Yah," Diana looked at the cat, "I couldn't bear to leave it alone."

The cat walked up to Diana and rubbed herself on her legs. "Well apparently it wants you as its new owner."

"Apparently so," Diana picked up the cat and read its collar. _Isis_. "So what are we going to make for breakfast?"

Bruce's Bedroom—Same Time

Bruce slowly woke up feeling something warm around him. His eyesight was a bit hazy and he couldn't make out what it was. Letting out a yawn, he felt someone breathing down his back. The breath was warm and awkwardly inviting. He took both his arms out from under the covers and felt what was around him. It felt warm, of course, but alive and muscular. Bruce jumped in the bed. Clark's arms were around him. He looked around and saw that not only were they around him but that he was completely wrapped with him.

Bruce let out a mild yell that managed to wake up Clark. Clark upon grasping the situation also yelled and let go of Bruce. They both rolled off of opposite sides of the bed.

Clark was about to speak but was cut off by Bruce saying, "Don't! Don't you dare speak of this to anyone! Understood?" Clark just nodded his head in reply. For the next ten minutes, they both acted very strange around each other, giving one another the silent treatment. Bruce took his shower first and then dressed leaving Clark alone in the room afterwards to take his shower.

Bruce made his way downstairs too quickly and when he became conscious of his speed, slowed down a little bit. He couldn't get the image of what just happened out of his head. Shaking his head, Bruce managed to get rid of the thought just in time to enter the kitchen. He saw that Diana and Daphne were already up and taking the plates of food to the dining room.

Startled at seeing Bruce, Diana dropped the plate she was holding. She dove for it immediately but Bruce caught it before her. She slowly got up to being just centimeters away from Bruce. Blushing, she turned around and brought a hand to the side of her face. "Sorry," she said.

"Don't be," Bruce set the plate on the table. He noticed Diana was a little tense and couldn't help but feel guilty. There was no way on earth he was going to show his guilt but he asked, "Are you alright, Diana?"

Diana turned at hearing the question. Still a little pink she answered, "Yes, of course. It's just that I was going to go wake you guys up but you know?"

"I understand," Bruce answered feeling relieved. For a moment there was again another awkward silence.

Daphne barging in with the last of the plates said, "Where's Clark?" Just like that she abruptly ended the silence without evening knowing so.

"Showering," Bruce answered, "I'll go get him." Why did he just say that? Now he had to go get Clark. Bruce mentally hit his forehead. Slowly and calmly, he retreated back to his room hoping that Clark by some chance was already on his way down. He had no such luck. When he got to the room, he could still hear the shower running. _Good_, Bruce thought_, now I won't have to get him_. He spoke, in this case thought, too soon. Clark turned off the running water and came out of the bathroom in just a towel. He saw Bruce right in front of him with a pair of jeans and a shirt in his hands. He didn't say take them or even spoke at all but his eyes pretty much said those words to him. The funny thing about Bruce was that he had the ability to speak with his eyes more than with his mouth. What made it remarkable is that the person he was speaking to with his eyes would always be able to tell what he was saying. It was truly a gift of communication and only Bruce had mastered it.

"Breakfast is ready," Bruce said after handing Clark the clothes. It was a gift really. He knew that Clark wasn't as fortunate to have a life of luxury like him or Diana so he often made a hike of giving Clark things. At first Clark would always try to return the _gifts_ but one way or another they'd end up back in his hands so he came to accept them at first glance. With Bruce being so stubborn, there was no way Clark could refuse anyways.

Clark waited until Bruce left the room to change. Then he remembered that he had found Bruce Wayne's journal. He had an obligation to show it to him. He grabbed the journal after dressing and ran downstairs.

Selina's Apartment in Paris—Same Time

Lois Lane paced back and forth through Selina's small apartment. Age had taken its toll on her and she was no longer the pretty woman she was forty years ago. Luckily for Selina, she had aged gracefully due to her always being active. Lois was not so fortunate. She had retained her figure but her skin had wrinkled and her hair had gone grey. She refused to dye it saying that there was no point anymore. She still wore suits and heels, a fashion style she would not let go of. If anything she was the exact opposite of the man she loved, Superman, and seemed to resemble more Batman. They were both equally as stubborn when they set their minds to something.

A knock on the front door was heard. Lois ran to open it like there was no tomorrow. She had been patiently waiting for Selina to arrive for over an hour. Her flight from NovaCity must have been delayed. "Finally you're here Sel…" Lois stopped midsentence once she saw that it was Steve Trevor she was talking to not Selina.

"I see you were expecting someone else," Steve spoke, "can't say that I wasn't either." He noticed her stunned reaction. "This is after all Selina's apartment isn't it?"  
"Don't bullshit me right now!" Lois practically yelled. "Where is Selina? She should have been here by now."

"I'm right here Lois," Selina said as she climbed through a window. "Don't get your panties in a knot." After all these years, Selina still managed to pull off her crazy stunts. To this day, she refused to use a door, if the window was optional.

Lois grunted. "How are the children? Are you sure it is even them?"

"Stop pestering me woman?" Selina headed for her minibar. She made poured herself a shot and chugged it. "Yes they're fine. And I'm absolutely sure it's them."

"How?" Steve asked, cocking a brow.

"Well for starters the girl leapt eight feet in the air and caught her friend. And one of the boys caught one of my blades in midair."

"You threw a blade at them!" Lois gasped. "What if you had been wrong?"

"Well I wasn't," Selina argued. "By the way I took the liberty of checking their records. Their history is very similar to their past lives. At least we know the gods didn't fail us there. And their school records match their personalities from their last lives also."

"Do you think he knows?" Lois asked concerned.

Selina stopped pouring her next shot. "If he didn't, he does now. All the more reason to tell them the truth."

"They aren't ready," Lois complained. She looked about ready to punch a hole in the wall.

Steve took a stand. "Actually Lois I'm with Selina on this one. We have to tell them the truth and not just part of it but all of it. They need to know what happened in their final days and what happened to us." He looked at her with his old, wise eyes. They were soft but had lost all their charisma.

"Ok," Lois agreed, "but we wait until they graduate." Selina tried to interrupt but Lois stopped her with a wave of her hand. "Until then we keep them under our protection. We have to contact the rest of the group. Selina you must go back to Gotham… I mean NovaCity and tell Palmer about our plan. Steve you go and contact Tim Drake."

"Where are you going?" Steve asked Lois.

She paused for dramatic affect. Really there was no need for it but when you get old for some reason it just becomes fun to mess with people. "Paradise Island."

Bruce's Manor—Later that same day

Clark had fallen asleep early after eating dinner. Though not before he showed Bruce the book he found. It would come in handy so Bruce decided to keep it. Already he planned to do the project himself. Not because he didn't want any help but because he worked better alone. He already told Clark he was doing it alone and he came to terms with him. Diana, however, was a different case. She was not as easy to convince as Bruce. Her mother had taught her otherwise. Now being her mother's daughter, Diana could not just stand by and let someone else do all the work. And it is not that she wasn't capable of doing the work because in fact she was more than capable. She could probably do the whole thing herself and get a perfect score. Diana was no slouch. Why Bruce didn't want to work with her is because they worked differently. Bruce always paid too much attention to all the small details, while Diana did also but not to such an extent as him. Diana was more of an I found the information now let's put it together and we're done while Bruce was like ok we found the information so now let's go back to see were the people we got the information ourselves go the information from and if it's not convincing then let's throw it away and start all over.

That was something he didn't want to put neither Clark nor Diana through. He'd gladly do the project himself. All that was left to do was to keep it from Diana. He needed to think first. Sleeping with Clark wasn't as easy as it was the first night. Not after what happened in the morning. Bruce got out of bed and put on his robe. At that moment is when he wondered why Daphne hadn't set up another guest room. She must have thought the company would do him some good. Was she wrong, now he couldn't sleep.

Decidedly, Bruce went outside. He wanted to go into the backyard to get some fresh air to clear his mind. It was a fresh night and the moon was full. He walked down the stone path that led to the fountain. It was made out of peach colored gravel. Around him the grass was dewed with fresh droplets of water that the sprinklers had sprayed earlier. Through the moonlight the green grass seemed to sparkle with the water. It was a perfect moment really. The lighting, the cool breeze, and the aroma of the rose bushes that outlined the perimeter of the house. Bruce for a moment let his guard down. He just wanted to feel the blessings of nature around him. Using his hands, he brushed his black hair in the soft, cool breeze. Apparently living in a city near the coast had its upsides. It never got too hot. Bruce closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Having fun," he heard a voice behind him.

Nearly choking on his breath, Bruce coughed. Diana came up behind him and patted his back. "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you," Diana apologized.

Bruce calmed his breathing and lied. "I wasn't scared," he said like a little kid. He mentally slapped himself after hearing how sounded like a little kid.

Diana giggled at Bruce's denial. She however had something on her mind. She knew Bruce wasn't asleep and she needed to talk to him. This is why she came out here looking for him. "We need to talk," she grabbed his hand and led him to the fountain. They sat down on the edge and like as if on cue it turned on.

"Yes," Bruce gulped. He hoped he wasn't making it too obvious that he felt something for her. If that was what the conversation was going to be about then he didn't know how he would react. Diana's hand didn't move away from his. Consciously Diana didn't notice, but subconsciously her mind knew.

"We have to talk about our current situation," Diana continued.

"About us you mean," Bruce tried to clarify.

"Yes," Diana spoke. "We need to talk about you, me, and Clark."

_Clark?_ Bruce thought. _She wants to talk about Clark_. He didn't know whether to get mad that she brought him up or feel relieved that the conversation wasn't heading towards what he thought. "What about us?" Bruce asked plainly. Unconsciously he started stroking Diana's hand. She noticed but decided to ignore it for the moment. It actually felt nice to her. Bruce wasn't one to show affection, so she took advantage of it while it lasted.

"We need to discuss all of new powers and this Catwoman lady."  
"Oh," Bruce sighed. "Wait you mean your guys new powers. I don't have any."

Diana pulled her hand away, making Bruce conscious of what he was doing. He blushed on the inside. She swayed her finger back and forth. "That is not true. You may not have super strength like us but those reflexes you showed aren't exactly bought at the mall either."

"But-

"No buts we need to acknowledge that _all_ of us are changing."

"Okay I admit that they surprised me too a little. So what do you want to say about Catwoman?"

"Do you trust her?" Diana was straight to the point. "Can _we_ trust her?"

Bruce looked at her with strange eyes. "What makes you so sure I can answer that? I don't know as much as people think I do."

Diana rolled her eyes. "Bruce you give yourself too little credit. How can you be so insecure?"

"It's part of my charm," Bruce for the first time in years smiled for a second. "But no I don't trust her." His smile quickly faded; if Diana had been blinking she would have missed it. It was truly a sight; it let her know that there was still hope for Bruce.

Diana brushed her hair out of her face. Willingly, she put her hand back with Bruce's. It was warm like the heart he tried so desperately to hide.

"Do you trust her?" Bruce asked.

It took Diana a moment to come to a conclusion. She didn't want to be biased. "Yes I think I do," she finally answered. "I don't see a reason to not. She came to us after all. We need her despite what you're thinking."

"What I am thinking?" Bruce was taken aback.

"Don't try and hide it. We both read the comic books. Remember that's how we became friends in the first place? We always knew there was a special connection among us. You know like the ties that bind."

"How can I forget?" Bruce admitted, again with a smile that only lasted a few seconds more. "Those were the good old days."

"We can still have more," Diana added. She looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Yah how so?" Bruce asked intrigued.

"Like this," Diana pulled Bruce into a kiss. It was soft and leaked of passion. They both needed it desperately. Around them fireflies started buzzing. It was too perfect and being so it ended.

Bruce pulled away from Diana. He looked at her in the eyes still experiencing the lust of the kiss. She looked back at him with the same face, except that when she tried to go in for another his face went back to serious and he gently placed his hand on her lips. "I'm sorry Diana but we can't do this." He got up and took a few steps forward.

"Why not?" she asked. "I love you and I know you-

"No. You don't love me." Bruce interjected. Before Diana could say anything he said, "And I don't love you." He felt his heart sink. "At least not that way Diana."

"Oh I see," Diana had tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions." She held her robe tightly and ran back into the house.

Bruce watched her run off and when he was sure she was inside he let a single tear fall from his eye. It landed sweetly in the fountain. He was no longer sure if he had done the right thing but now there was no going back. The only thing harder than admitting love was apologizing. A mixture of both would be unbearable.

The next day Diana and Bruce acted like as if nothing had happened. They were both uncomfortably quiet around each other. Clark started picking up on their feelings and knew that something had happened, but neither of them would speak when he asked them.

**A/N Ok I think the ending was sad. If it is sad, good, because that is what I was going for. I also want my readers to know that I am seriously considering bringing in the other characters later in the story. Especially Wally, (answer for Jazbez and Acarolin95). The only problem is that I don't think I capture humor as good as the other emotions. So Wally might be a problem for me but we'll see when it comes to that.**


	6. Graduation

**Chapter 6 (Graduation)**

**A/N Brief summary is that this chapter will cover the project, the graduation, and some other things. I know I didn't bring up any action in the previous chapter like I said I would try to do so to make up for it I added it here. Ok so it is official I will bring up the other founding members; however I'm not sure when yet. Oh and a special thanks to Glimare for the advice. I will keep it in mind when I bring up Wally. I'm already planning on his introduction into the story. Enjoy the new chapter.**

NovaCity High School—One Month Later

It was finally the day. It came earlier than anybody expected, graduation day! Everybody was looking forward to it, well everybody except Bruce. He still felt guilty over what happened between him and Diana. Clark tried to get it out of him but he wouldn't budge and unfortunately for Clark neither would Diana. Much to Bruce's dismay, he was stuck reading a speech with Diana and well Clark, but he didn't have a problem with Clark at the moment.

Bruce walked into Mr. Palmer's class. He was early as usual. He kept looking at the project in his hands. Last night he had finished it and emailed Clark and Diana the notes on it so they would be prepared for when it came to the presentation.

"Mr. Gaius I see you are early as usual," Mr. Palmer spoke. Bruce didn't answer. It wasn't a lack of respect but rather Bruce had not heard him. Mr. Palmer took a closer look at Bruce and noticed that he seemed troubled. This was something very unusual. Bruce always seemed well stable for lack of a better word. And not just any person could tell when Bruce was upset or feeling off. It took special concentration to see that Bruce just slightly tensed his shoulders and tightened his fists. But Mr. Palmer had no business to interfere in Mr. Gaius life but he could still try to get him to talk. "Mr. Gaius," he repeated somewhat louder.

"Yes Mr. Palmer," Bruce spoke up.

"May I see your project," he gestured for him to bring up the report.

"Of course," Bruce stood up and took the project to Mr. Palmer. He handed it to him like he was giving away his soul. He only hoped that Mr. Palmer would believe what he had written. It was after all a little hard to believe. People don't just write reports about their city's history being hidden in comic books.

"You may take your seat Mr. Gaius," Mr. Palmer motioned for him to go.

He did as he was told and took his seat. The whole time he did not take his eyes off of Mr. Palmer. He watched as Mr. Palmer read the report, the entire time not changing his facial expression from being blank. Just when he finished reading, the bell rang and everybody ran inside into their seats.

"Perfect you're all here," Mr. Palmer folded his arms. "Shall we start with the presentations?" It was really more of a statement than a question. One by one, Mr. Palmer called up the groups to present their report. They had to lecture and answer questions both from the students and the teacher. Time passed by rather quickly and before they knew it, the last group had gone. Clark, Bruce, and Diana figured it was their turn to go up and present, so they stood up. "Please sit down," Mr. Palmer ordered. "We are done with presentations."

"But- Diana started.

"No buts," Mr. Palmer waved at her with his hand. "I already took the liberty of grading your guys' report and if I may say it was the worst excuse for a project I have ever read." He stared at all three students with cold eyes.

Diana almost felt like fainting. She sat back down in her chair and slouched. Her perfect grades were over. _What could have gone wrong? Yah I mean sure the project was a little out there but it had evidence to support their claims_.

The bell rang and everybody ran for the door. "Mr. Gaius, Miss Spencer, and Mr. Sandow please refrain from leaving the classroom. I need to have a word with you three." The three students reluctantly sat back down.

"What do you want?" Bruce asked harshly. There was no point in hiding his anger, especially now that school was officially over. For once in his life, Bruce felt like letting off some stress.

"I suggest you watch your tone Mr. Gaius," Mr. Palmer cleared his throat. "You would be surprised at the connections I have in this city."

"Enough pleasantries," Diana said oh very so sarcastically. "What _do_ you want?"

Mr. Palmer walked up to the windows and pulled down the shades. Then he walked to the doors and locked them. "Are you going to kidnap us?" Clark asked.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy Mr. Sandow," Mr. Palmer answered. The teens didn't say anything. They waited until Mr. Palmer would start speaking. It's not like he could do anything anyways because they were the ones giving the graduation speech. Someone was bound to notice if they went missing. And that would mean trouble for him. Mr. Palmer quickly caught up on their silence and spoke. "I know this must be confusing for the three you of you. To clarify I mean the report, the grade, and I holding you what could be considered captive." Again silence. "Speechless ok. So first thing I want to clarify is that your report was exactly as I expected. It is going to get a perfect grade." Before anybody could interrupt he continued. "No questions until I finish. I promise this will be brief but most likely overwhelming." He took a breath. "I cannot give you all the specific details on this but I can tell you some things. For starters you three are very important people and your destiny is highly at stake. I'm sure you have come in contact with your powers."

"Bruce doesn't have any powers," Diana interjected. Bruce felt like he was sucker punched in the gut. No doubt Diana could hold a grudge. Just last month she was saying he gave himself to little credit and that he did have his own sort of powers and now she was contradicting her previous statement. He couldn't blame her though it was pretty much his doing so he just stayed put.

"I'm quite aware of that Miss Spencer, but you are giving him too little credit." Diana rolled her eyes. "Mr. Gaius has proven himself to be one of the greatest young minds of his generation. I do not doubt that his intellect will end up saving you three at some point."

"I think that Clark and I are perfectly capable of handling ourselves," Diana at that moment grabbed an apple off Mr. Palmer's desk and crushed it in the palm of her hand.

Mr. Palmer did not want to continue arguing with her so he just cut to the chase. "I don't doubt that either but back to the subject at hand. You three will come to meet some very important people in the near future. I don't know when and I don't know how. All they told me is that they're coming to meet you. And before you ask, no I will not tell you who they are or what my relationship to them is. But what I will tell you is that they are here to help and clear everything up to you. Danger is near and you three must be around for when it comes. The path from here will not be easy but that is why I am telling you now." He stopped.

"So you expect us to trust you blindly?" Bruce asked.

"It might seem a little hard to take all this in right now but yes," Mr. Palmer answered. The teens again stood quiet. Mr. Palmer couldn't quite read their facial expressions. They were either overwhelmed or completely understanding of the situation. And he did not really want to know so he just reopened the windows and unlocked the door. "You may go now. I expect to see you all at the graduation ceremony tonight."

"Of course," Clark spoke, "we wouldn't miss it for our lives." Diana and Bruce were no longer sure if that was true.

Graduation Ceremony—Later that Same Day 

Bruce had arrived early as usual to the school's football field. That was where the school decided to hold the ceremony. He arrived already dressed in his black silk tuxedo. He in a way went all out, buying leather shoes, a leather belt, and only the best type of material for his tux. There really was no point since he would just throw the black gown over the entire outfit and have to wear a ridiculous looking hat. But everybody dressed up anyways so why wouldn't he.

Clark walked on to the football field. He was wearing the tuxedo Bruce had bought him. It was grey in contrast to Bruce's black one. He made sure to buy him an equally good tux made from the same materials as his. Clark however had still not put on his gown. Bruce walked up to him and they met half way. "Why haven't you put your gown on yet? Everybody is coming soon."

Clark looked around at the empty bleachers. Nobody was there and not bound to arrive for another good half hour. "Sure," he said throwing it on. "So where is Diana? I thought the speech givers were supposed to be here early."

"I don't know," Bruce answered turning around.

"Something is up with you guys. I swear, one way or another I going to find out."

"Sure, if we survive this night." Bruce straightened up Clark's gown. He couldn't stand it when people didn't know how to put things on right.

"What makes you say that?" Clark asked, narrowing his eyes.

Bruce sighed half in frustration and half in annoyance. "I just feel like something bad is going to happen. But it's probably just the pit in my stomach, haven't eaten."

Minutes later, Diana arrived in a red dress that clung to her body revealing her feminine curves. She had added makeup to her already beautiful, natural appearance and wore red high heels. The only jewelry she wore was a pearl necklace she had found in the box she took from NovaCity Museum. She had considered wearing earrings but her hair would just cover them.

"Wow Diana," Clark started, "you look wow." He was dumbfounded but managed to get a laugh from her.

"Thank you Clark," she said and then turned to see Bruce was looking at her. "Yes Bruce," she said softly. A part of her wanted to leave everything that had happened between them in the past and just start again as friends, but he would have to feel the same thing.

"Your pearls look beautiful Diana," _and familiar_ he didn't say.

"Thank you," Diana fumbled with them.

Over the next twenty minutes, they rehearsed the speech with a counselor. Everything had to go off with a string. When they finally finished rehearsing, the guests had already started arriving. In no time, the bleachers were filled. Without hesitation, the three climbed up the stairs of the twenty foot tall setup stage. The stage needed to be high so that everybody could see the speakers. Especially since it was already dark out and the only lighter were the few lampposts around the area. Unlike a normal graduation ceremony, the principal handed out diplomas first and then the speech was announced.

Clark walked up to the podium. He was starting off the speech. He talked about everything they had lived. His part of the speech revolved around elementary and middle school. Everything that had to do with the general student's childhood was in his portion of the speech. Diana was next. She spoke about the high school experience. Extracurricular activities and sports were on her agenda. She covered the teachers, students, classwork, and homework. But above all she talked about the growing relationships among the students and the teachers. When she said that, she specifically looked at Bruce who turned away. She concluded her speech and handed the limelight to Bruce. His part of the speech was the most brief. He basically just concluded it with what he expected college would have in store for all of them and their future careers.

After Bruce sat back down, the principal gave the last goodbyes. At that very moment all the lampposts blew up. It became completely dark and people started screaming. In the air, came helicopter noises. Clark was able to hear people jumping out of the helicopters. Diana had stood up and was hiding her panic. She was not about to lose control of herself in such a desperate situation. She knew her mother was in the bleachers and she could swear she heard her screaming her name.

Diana jumped at a moment's notice. "Mother! Mother! Where are you?" she yelled desperately pushing people out of her way.

Clark saw Diana jumped twenty feet to the ground. "Diana!" he yelled but he had his own problem on his hands. For some unknown reason, Clark was able to see everything perfectly just like as if were happening in daylight. From the corner of his eye, he saw a slim woman dressed completely in black leather holding what appeared to be a grenade launcher. She smiled at him and waved before shooting the grenade at the stage setup. It broke the foundations and sent it hurling to the ground. Clark turned to see that Bruce was tumbling over; obviously he had not seen the grenade coming. Out of instinct, Clark jumped for Bruce and caught him in midair. He meant to use his body to break Bruce's fall, but something happened.

Clark was floating in place. He was flying. It was the most incredible feeling he had ever felt but now was not the moment to bask in it. "Are you alright Bruce?" he asked.

Bruce was on the brink of falling unconscious. He hit his head on something when he was rolling down the stage. "Cl…Clark are…you…flying?" he asked hazily. "Wher…e… iss...Diana? I heard…herrr…yelling?"

"Yes I think I'm flying and I have no idea," he answered Bruce just as he was falling into unconsciousness.

"Find her," Bruce said way too clearly, "and tell her I love her." Bruce blacked out.

Mr. Palmer was busy scrambling people out of the school. It was a real hassle given that the people panicked like animals. He was shouting orders but nobody seemed to be listening. It got to the point where people were just shoving past him. The shoves quickly turned into pushes and then into kicks and punches. Soon enough he was on the ground with the stampede of people running over him. There was no way he could get up with everybody's feet knocking him back down. He felt blood run down his face; somebody had stepped on his nose. It broke or was at least twisted but certainly not the only injured body part. Ribs were cracked and skin was bruised.

His eyes started swelling but that didn't stop him from seeing a hand being offered to him. With all the strength he could muster, he grabbed the soft yet firm hand and rose to his feet. He came face to face with a familiar face. It was Daphne the woman he recognized as Mr. Gaius' legal guardian. "Thank you Ms. Pennyworth," Mr. Palmer gasped.

"You are very much welcomed," Daphne spoke calmly. It was in her blood to remain calm even in the direst of situations. Her uncle Alfred had taught her everything she needed to know for this type of situation. And what he always stressed was that remaining calm was the upmost important to do. Everything else would just follow through clear thoughts. "Where are the children?" she asked.

"Last I saw them they were on the stage but I doubt they are there now," Mr. Palmer choked out. He was having trouble breathing. "Don't worry they'll get away. Our friends are here to help. We expected this would happen today. It has begun."

"If only it weren't so soon," Daphne stated. "There fate lies with the gods now. May they not fail us." She and Mr. Palmer headed out, knowing that somehow the three teens would make it out of this.

Diana was running around the stadium like a crazy person. She could hear her mother calling her. "Mother where are you?" she yelled. Around her she could see men dressed in black assaulting people. Squinting her eyes, she saw that three of those men were abducting her mother. "Mother!" she yelled one more time before a lady dressed in black jumped in front of her. "Get out of my way!" Diana yelled taken aback a little from the sudden appearance of a person in front of her.

"What's your rush sweetie?" Shadow asked. She was answered by a hard slap to the face. Diana expected her to be knocked unconscious from her hit but it only seemed to have temporarily stun the woman. "Bitch!" Shadow swung at Diana's face with her claws, leaving her with three deep gashes across her cheek.

"Ah!" Diana fell to the floor and looked in the near distance only to see her mother and Clark's guardians being forced into a landed helicopter. "No," she only managed to whisper with her hand held out. Shadow seeing that the girl was still conscious and could still feel pain took pleasure in stepping on the girl's hand with her high heel boot. Diana swore she heard her bones pop out of place and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Clark heard Diana scream. "Diana where are you?" he yelled frantically turning his head in every direction. He spotted her nearby on the ground with a woman standing over her. It was the same woman who had shot the grenade at the stage. Getting a grip on his flying, Clark flew straight for the woman. At the last second, he lost his balance and fell face forward in front of Shadow. He still had Bruce in his arms and was holding on to him tightly. Bruce was his best friend and he would never let anything happen to him or Diana but it was a little too late for her.

Shadow glared Clark down with her ocean blue eyes. She was scanning for weakness and boy were there a lot of them. "Perfect," she said picking up Diana, "the gang is all here." Diana spit on her face and kicked her in the gut. Her hand was hurting too much to throw a punch but that was why Clark was here now.

Shadow once again only seemed to absorb the hit. She was unquestionably strong. She aimed to claw at Diana once more but Clark grabbed both of her legs and dropped her to the floor. She was forced to let go of Diana.

"Run Diana!" Clark shouted.

"I'm not leaving you!" she yelled back crawling over to where Clark had laid Bruce.

"Good it makes my job a whole lot easier," Shadow smirked. Clark tried to punch her but she caught his fist in midair and lifted him off the ground. In the blink of an eye, she slammed him hard onto the ground causing him to grunt out in pain. For the moment he was not a problem.

Diana looked up to see Shadow was heading toward them. She tried to nudge Bruce to wake up but he wouldn't budge. "Bruce I'm sorry if I hurt you," she whispered into his ear, "but please I need you to know that what I said was true." She was crying and could feel that Shadow was nearing them. The moonlight reflected off of something peering through Bruce's gown and Diana quickly moved it aside to see it was the metal of his belt. She took it off of him and waited for just the right moment. She lied on Bruce's chest pretending, well not really pretending, to be sobbing helplessly.

Shadow walked up to a crying Diana thinking it would be so easy to knock her out to. Was she wrong. As soon as she tried to grab Diana, she swung around and hit her in the face with buckle of a belt. It caused her lip to bleed.

"You actually managed to make me bleed," Shadow said unbelievably. "Now allow me to return the favor." She tried attacking Diana once more with her claws but this time all of Diana's martial art training kicked in. Somehow she managed to block all of Shadow's attacks and wrap the belt around her neck like a lasso.

"Who's the bitch now?" Diana asked rhetorically, while tightening the belt. She pulled Shadow in close to her to get a better grip around her neck. She didn't want to kill the woman but just knock her out cold.

Shadow losing her air became desperate and started struggling against Diana's grip. She pretended to be out cold and when Diana loosened her grip she kicked her leg up to hit Diana's face. When Diana fell backwards speechless, Shadow laughed. "Did you really think you stood a chance?" she asked while picking up Diana by the neck. Gradually she hardened her grip on Diana's neck until the girl's face started turning blue.

Clark awoke. He looked around with hazy eyes. A few feet away from him he saw Bruce on the floor still unconscious and Diana being strangled by that woman. "Diana!" he yelled as two red beams shot from his eyes and scorched the woman's back. She howled like a wild animal but refused to let go of Diana.

Diana saw the two red beams shoot out from Clark's eyes but the woman didn't let go and she was starting to feel lightheaded. In such a desperate situation she remembered one good technique for escaping. She lifted up her right arm and using her elbow she hit the woman's arms and then elbowed her in the chin. It worked the woman let go and just in time for Clark to fly over to the.

Clark grabbed the woman and threw her away from them into the broken stage. "We have to get out of here now!" he yelled. Diana nodded her head. Clark scrambled to pick up Bruce. They started running through the crowd of people.

Diana took off her gown and used a piece of it to wrap it around her hurt hand. She desperately searched for an exit. There were too many people to take the normal exits that she could see just fine.

"Look!" Clark yelled at Diana over the screaming of the people. He was pointing towards a black cat staring at them.

"That's Isis!" Diana yelled. "Isis come here kitty," she pleaded. Isis looked at them for another moment and then took off in the opposite direction. "Come on," Diana grabbed Clark's arm and started following the cat. Isis ran a few feet and then waited for them to catch up. Every time Diana thought the cat would allow her to pick it up but as soon as she got close the cat started running again. She led them around the school through areas that didn't have people freaking out. Isis finally came to a halt in front of the entrance to the mechanics class. She meowed at them and then jumped up through the open window. "Isis!" Diana shouted. She looked around and found the door to the room.

Clark walked up to it first and kicked the door in.

"You could have just twisted the knob," Diana spoke.

"My hands are a little full," Clark directed his eyes at Bruce.

"Oh." Diana saw Isis run around a corner and into a familiar blond old woman's hands. "Catwoman!" Diana couldn't help but run up to her and give her a hug.

Selina hugged her back. "Come on sweetie we have to go before Shadow finds us." They followed her into a black van where some old man was at the wheel.

He offered them his hand and announced himself. "Hello I'm Steve Trevor." The name rang a bell to Diana but she couldn't quite remember where she had heard it before.

"Just drive!" Selina yelled at him, while she inspected Bruce's vitals. Steve driving at full speed blasted through the garage exit and onto the street. Her attention turned to Clark who seemed to be worrying about his unconscious friend. "Pulse is strong, breathing is stable, he'll be fine," she comforted him. Unknowingly, she also comforted Diana. Selina faced Diana and gasped, "God! Child you look awful."

Diana looked at the little rear view mirror to see that her hair was complete mess and her face scratched up and bloody. In combination with her hurt arm and ruined dress she looked like she had survived a nuclear explosion.

"It's alright sweetie," Selina tried to bring the girl some peace. "You two go to sleep, we'll arrive at our destination by tomorrow." Clark and Diana eagerly obliged. Before falling asleep, Diana minded turned to Bruce. She knew that if he was conscious he wouldn't stop until he found out where they were taking them but in all faith she trusted Selina. Even she was an ex-criminal.

**A/N Ok I think I covered some good points and probably even arose some more questions but that's just for the suspense. We all know it wouldn't be a story without suspense. Now I have a question for my readers and reviewers. I have received a few reviews that say my writing is different in a good way. Now I feel complimented but just out of curiosity I would like it if someone told me what exactly makes my writing different from others. Oh and a heads up for the next chapter is that I am changing Tim Drake's upcoming a little bit. I don't want him to be a fifty year old man so I changed it to him being brought up by Dick Grayson after Batman had died. So his age will be around thirty. Next chapter I'll cover what happened to the remaining superheroes (batclan, amazons, etc.)**


	7. Secrets

**Chapter 7 (Secrets)**

**A/N Brief summary the chapter as I said is covering the past. Most of the secrets will be revealed. I'm bringing in as I said Tim Drake and other characters. This is where the run starts as I would like to put it. I've decided that the other reincarnated founding members will be introduce one by one (some as a group) after this chapter. Hopefully it covers the point of the story. Please keep reviewing because I do read them and overall enjoy. **

Diana woke up next to Clark in the still moving van. Clark was nonetheless asleep, so Diana was careful not to wake him. Through the tinted windows, the sun barely managed to come in. Diana be that as it may could see that they were no longer in NovaCity. "Where are we?" she wearily asked Selina.

"Florida," she answered with a yawn.

Diana's eyes opened wide. "What did you say Florida?" Selina nodded. "Why are we in Florida? Where are you taking us?" Isis jumped into Diana's lap startling her. She rubbed herself on Diana's thighs and started purring. That seemed to calm Diana down a bit.

"Sorry kid," Steve spoke from behind the wheel. "We aren't allowed to say anything until we have you at the Bermuda Triangle." Selina punched his arm; he wasn't supposed to tell them where they were taking them. She forced a smile, but Diana didn't buy it.

"Wake up!" Diana shook Clark.

"Uh what happened?" Clark said still half asleep.

"Ask them," Diana pointed at Selina and Steve.

"Nah I'd rather not," Clark said going back to sleep. Diana glared daggers at him for not asking. He got what was coming to him when Steve went over a bump and Clark hit his head on the ceiling. Diana chuckled. She turned to look at Bruce.

"Why isn't he awake yet?" she asked Selina not taking her eyes off of Bruce for a second.

"He had a mild concussion," Selina confessed. "The blow to his head was pretty strong. It must have been some fall." She turned to see that Diana was not looking at her but at Bruce. And not only that, but Diana was holding his hand. It reminded her of when she was young and with Bruce, the first Bruce. She never showed it but when they got together and he was out on missions she'd be worried sick about him. Given her criminal record, Bruce would not allow her to join him on his missions. She despite all always found a way to make sure he was alright without him noticing she was stalking him. But now that she thought about it maybe he did notice and just allowed her to be. _How sweet_ she thought. The World's Greatest Detective had allowed someone to watch over him and kept it a secret. Now she was sure he knew the whole time. For some reason thinking about her Bruce and looking at Diana with the reincarnated Bruce brought a tear to her eyes. She had sworn long ago to never cry again but what's a promise if it's not broken.

About ten hours later, they arrived at a port on the coast of Florida. "We're here," Steve stated, "well sort of." He looked over to the back to see Selina getting some things ready. It was late at night but the dock was well lit. Clark had woken up a few hours earlier and was already grabbing Bruce. "Everybody get out," Steve ordered when he saw that Selina had everything she needed. They did as they were told.

Clark jumped out of the van into the cool coastal breeze. It felt reviving after being stuck in a moving van for pretty much a day. He saw that Diana felt the same way. It seemed to them like aside from everything that had happened things couldn't get any crazier. That changed when they saw Steve driving at top down the pier.

"What's he doing?" Diana asked a little frantically. She took a step forward but Selina stopped her with her arm.

"Don't worry it's all part of the plan remember?" Selina corrected.

"You mean the plan you haven't told us anything about, remember?" Diana mimicked. She turned to look at the van just in time to see it drive into the ocean with Steve jumping out. He quickly ran back to them.

"Ready?" he asked Selina.

"Thought you'd never ask." She led them towards a yacht. It wasn't anything too big but it wasn't at all small either. From the outside it looked just like every other boat in the port with the exception of it saying S.S Feline. Diana couldn't help but snicker at her obsession with cats.

"Is this yours," Diana asked.

Selina looked at her with disbelief. Then again she was probably wondering where she got the money to buy this. "If you're wondering where I got the money from, then it is safe to say that you'd be amaze to know what you can afford to buy when your life career revolves around stealing expensive jewelry."

"So why did Steve have to sink the van?" Clark asked confused. He was usually slow to catch up.

"Because," Steve started, "we can't have anybody follow us and we can't leave anything behind that could leave a trail." They climbed into the boat and Selina escorted them to their rooms. The yacht had five rooms in all, so everybody had their own. Except for Clark, who insisted on sharing one with Bruce until he woke up.

Same Day—Unknown Place—Later that Night

Shadow walked into the office of the man who hired her. From the news, she figured he already knew what happened. He probably thought she wouldn't face him but she was not weak. She would go up to face and tell him she failed. That was probably one of her best qualities; she never backed out of a fight. It was like second nature to her, almost like as if it was in her blood. As a child and now even as an adult, Shadow never got to know who her parents were. She was raised in a lab at some place called Cadmus. All she knew from what the scientists had told her was that her father was extremely intelligent like his father had been before him and her mother was stronger than most of the males on the planet like her mother before her.

The scientists never told her the name of her parents. They said it was prohibited for her to know and that it was pointless anyways because they had died and she would never see them again. Shadow remembered the day they told her that, she had cried nonstop until they beat her out of tears. Through yelling and physical abuse they made her mentally and physically strong. They said she was a weapon and nothing else. Always, they tried to make her feel inferior and weak just to motivate her to become harder and colder. Years later, though, she got lucky. One night for some reason the power had gone out in Cadmus. This meant that the security system went down with it. Shadow was no fool; she took the opportunity to escape. They tried to stop her, but she too strong for them. It was the first time in her life that she let out all her anger and frustration. It was the first time she killed. Shadow killed every scientist, security guard, and just plain out any person who tried to prevent her escape. Since that unfaithful day, she decided to take on a career of being a bounty hunter. The lust she felt for killing was just too strong for her to resist. Especially since this one important man seemed to have a never ending list of targets for her. The same man who hired her to kill three innocent teens. The same teens who managed to escape her.

Now more than ever Shadow wanted to hunt them down. Regardless of what the man said, she was going after them. It wasn't about the prize he gave her anymore. There was more to it than she had originally known. These teens were different, they were stronger, faster, and most of all they were like her. That is what most intrigued her, because she had never faced anybody who matched her in terms of the human condition. It brought a smile to her face knowing that for the first time in her life, she was going to get a real challenge. To her, it was going to be a sort of kick out of fighting these kids. Nothing was going to stop her now that she had her mind set on it.

"How are you doing Shadow," the man asked behind his chair.

"Fine," she answered coldly. "I have bad news for you."

He seemed a little surprised at her forwardness. "And that would be?"

"The adolescents evaded me."

He frowned. "I know…but honest to be said I expected this."

"What?" she asked dumbfounded. "You expected this?"

"Yes I did but now that you are aware of their condition I am sure that next time you will have no problem facing them." He practically set her up with no option but Shadow didn't care because she was looking forward to meeting them again. Only that this time she was sure the outcome would be different.

Shadow took a seat in front of his desk out of curiosity of what the man knew that she didn't. He felt her presence come closer so he turned around in his chair facing her. "How do you know so much about them?" she asked.

He let out an hmm. "Let's just say I've been around long enough to know this was coming?"

Shadow was not satisfied with his answer. From his physical appearance she could tell that he looked to be no older than thirty five. How could he speak to her like as if he were a wise elder? Clearly he was not right in the head, but neither was she, so truth be told she couldn't hold it against him. "How do we track them down?" she got back on subject.

"We don't need to," he said proudly, "I already know where they're going."

"And just how exactly do you know?" she asked with the same curiosity as before. No answer. "You are a very secretive man you know? But it doesn't matter, one way or another I will eventually figure it out." She leaned over the desk and place her mouth near his ear. "I always do." They just stayed in that position for a moment until Shadow sat back in her seat. He smiled at her. Her eyes told him _what_.

"I need you to take a fleet of ships of mine to stop those kids. They are heading to a certain island. You might even call it paradise when you get there but trust me the women there are anything but. So in reality you will be in charge of two things." Shadow eyes widened at the mention of an extra task.

"And what is that?"

"Take care of the children and neutralize the island. They have been a nuisance in my back for far too long. Understood?"

She answered him with a kiss to the lips. "What do you think?"

The Yacht—Same Time

Clark was still awake in the middle of the night. He couldn't fall asleep knowing that Bruce might not wake up in the morning. He was also trouble by Bruce's last words 'Find her (Diana)…and tell her I love her'. Right now he thought Bruce might have been delusional when he said that but it explained a lot of things. It explained why Bruce and Diana had been acting like they were around each other_. How could I have not have seen it earlier?_ Clark thought. He slapped his forehead remembering the incident in Bruce's room when he tried to make him jealous. Now it was clear to him what happened. Diana confessed her love to him and he denied his. _Shit_, he thought, _he probably even told her something stupid like 'No. You don't love me'_. It was sad to say the truth but that was just the stereotypical Bruce he came to know. And really Clark wouldn't have it any other way. Somehow though he knew they would find a way to make it work even if he had to intervene to do so.

Bruce let out a slight moan, bringing Clark out of his thoughts. He immediately ran to his side. "Bruce," he said a little too loud, seeing that he was awakening. "How are you feeling?"

Bruce groaned. He obviously was suffering from some kind of headache and Clark talking was annoying him and causing him pain. Too bad for him, Clark didn't seem to notice and just kept ranting.

"Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, Bruce!"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" he yelled. Clark was stunned, but was still too persistent to stop before he got at least one answer.

"Ok," Clark said slightly softer. "Obviously you're tired and in pain but answer me this one question okay." It wasn't a question but he waited for Bruce to respond.

Bruce waited for the question but it didn't come fast enough. "How am I going to answer it if you won't ask it," he barked harshly.

"Oh sorry," Clark apologized. Bruce mentally rolled his eyes and even that caused him some distress. "Do you remember anything from last night?" he finally asked.

"Just some things," Bruce answered. "I remember sitting on the stage and then the lights going out, Diana jumping off the stage, an explosion, a hit to my head, and then blacking out."

"Is that all?" Clark leaned in, expecting him to remember what he told him.

Bruce aside from being in pain started to feel very uncomfortable with Clark at the moment. He didn't like to be questioned. If anything he liked being the interrogator. Not the other way around. "I thought you said only one question."

"Well yah," Clark spoke, "I asked question number zero and now it's time for question number one." He smiled at his comeback. It was a record given that he usually couldn't come up with responses to Bruce's witty remarks.

"Well no," Bruce continued, "that's all I remember, why?"

"Just wondering," Clark turned around trying to act casual. Bruce caught on to his act but couldn't do anything right now except go back to sleep. To further his discomfort, Clark insisted on sleeping with him that night. At first Bruce said no, but gave in after Clark told him it was because he was worried that he wouldn't wake up the next day. In a way, it touched his heart knowing that somebody he considered family, but didn't know if the feeling was reciprocated, cared for him.

The Next Day—Themyscira (Paradise Island)

The group arrived on the shores of Themyscira by noon the next day. Bruce had made sure to ask a lot of questions of what had happened and what was happening before they arrived. First he tried asking Clark and Diana but he soon discovered that they had not been informed either. That was unacceptable. If he had been conscious then he would have been all up on Selina's and Steve's backs until he got some answers. Steve even thanked God that the kid was unconscious pretty much the whole trip because he wouldn't shut up with the questions. It got to such a point that he and Selina had to tell him some of the things they weren't allowed to speak of until they got to the island.

Diana was the first of the group to step foot on the island. She could see in the distance that some people were making their way towards them. After getting a closer look, she noticed that they were all women dressed in Roman like clothing. For some reason the island looked very familiar to her. She took in a breath of air and felt oddly safe. To her it felt like she was home. She couldn't help but stretch in the welcome aurora of the island.

Bruce and Clark walked off of the yacht. Bruce and Diana had started talking again. Well not a lot but the same as they used to. They had agreed not with each other but to themselves that it wasn't worth acting awkward around each other. Amends it seems to be in a way but not really. They would never forget that night in Bruce's backyard. It was something they weren't really looking forward to resolving at the moment but time would take its toll on it.

The Amazons as the group came to know, greeted them like honored guests especially Diana. They knew she didn't know the truth yet, so they tried to refrain themselves. Finding out the truth was the reason they were here in the first place. One Amazon led them into the castle as one might put it. She said that everyone had arrived and that the queen was waiting for them. From there, Selina and Steve took the teens into the queen's meeting room.

Inside the room there were five people sitting in chairs around a giant conference table. Two of them were immediately recognized. Mr. Palmer and Daphne Pennyworth were among the group. The other three were not exactly familiar but their presence did seem to spark interest in the fellow youths' minds. Bruce and his friends immediately walked over to Daphne. They were more comfortable being around her and Mr. Palmer given that they were truly the only ones they knew.

"What's going on, Daphne?" Bruce asked. "Why are we here?"  
"We are getting to that?" Daphne answered. "Just let us get our facts straight."

Diana for an unknown reason could not wait. "No! We want to know right now! You can't just bring us here and expect us to wait longer. My mother and Clark's aunt and uncle have been kidnapped by some lunatic." Clark fell back in his chair. He had not known that his only family had been kidnapped. "We deserve to know the truth right now."

"Fine," an elderly woman spoke. "Just let us introduce ourselves first." Diana nodded. "I'm Lois Lane."

"I'm Tim Drake," a young man spoke.

"And I'm Cassandra Sandsmark," a woman that looked to be around twenty eight said. She was blond and had blue eyes. "We have been expecting you all for some time," she continued. "It seems the Gods have not deceived us. Thank Hera."

Over the next two hours, the adults explained everything to the three teens. They told them that they were the reincarnations of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. Also, they told them how they came to be reincarnated. But before that, they explained that they had been killed by a monster controlled by a madman who was set to take on the world. That man personally studied them over the years and exploited their weakness and identities if they had one. He turned the people on them and made them most wanted in the country. Lois told them how he hid the existence of them by publishing them as comic book heroes that they would later come to read. She said that the comic books were half made up but the main plotlines actually revolved around the heroes' real lives and adventures.

Tim who immediately took an interest in Bruce told him and well the others what happened to the few heroes who survived. Most of them went into hiding and continued doing superhero work in secret but eventually a majority of them were caught and killed. The Batclan consisting of him, Nightwing, and Batgirl was what he mainly covered. He said that Dick Grayson adopted him after he learned of Bruce's original intention of doing so. Unfortunately, one day the manor was raided and during which, both Dick and Barbara were slaughtered with Tim barely making it out alive. Having no family left, Tim took the Wayne fortune and left Gotham which at that time was already NovaCity, and headed for New York City. There he met Ray Palmer II the son of The Atom or Ray Palmer one of the last living members of the Justice League. Apparently, Ray Palmer II didn't need the belt to turn miniature. It turned out that the belt produced a radiation and it being so close to Ray's anatomy, altered his reproductive system giving his son superior physical condition and the ability to shrink without it.

Cassie and Steve told them about what happened to Donna Troy. After the death of Hippolyta and Diana, Donna was next in line for the throne of Themyscira. She accepted it, but upon learning of her fiancé's death (Dick), sought to seek revenge. She left the island and went to find the men responsible. She learned it was the same man who had eliminated the Justice League. But being away from man's world for too long made her ignorant of who the man had become. He became the president of the United States and therefore had the power to do whatever he pleased. In no time, he eliminated even her. Cassie then had no choice but to assume the throne and once again hide the existence of the home of the Amazons. She hadn't come into contact with the outside world until one day Lois Lane stumbled upon the island. She got there by jet which she had secretly stolen from Batman well not really but she didn't ask and by then he was already gone. She knew of the island's location from Wonder Woman who while still living had always tried to convince Lois to visit. She felt very guilty that the one time she went was after the League had died and she needed help. Lois was very stubborn and had to find a way to bring them back.

Steve knowing Lois' plan, set it upon himself to find any residual league members. After a few years he found Tim and Ray. Then one day he stumbled upon Daphne the niece of Alfred Pennyworth. They formed their own sort of group that focused on finding a way to bring back the Justice League. They tried many things, that all ended in failure. It wasn't until they were on the verge of giving up that they met Catwoman. At first they had a hard time trusting her given her criminal record but over time she proved herself worthy. Like them, Catwoman also felt the need to bring back the League and she had a means of doing it. She knew of a League member who had survived the massacre and was very close to discovering a solution. She took them to Dr. Fate. He told them that destiny had gathered them together for a reason. They were meant to bring about the second coming of the League. However it would take dealing with sources of greater power. They had to reach out to the Gods who protected Themyscira the same Gods that the Romans believed in. It took time to grab their attention but they finally came to an agreement with them. The Gods did them the favor of bringing back the souls of the original seven members at what they considered a reasonable cost. The adults refused to tell them what the price was but the teens figured it was something big. It's not every day that somebody brings seven souls back from the grave. Yet, somehow the President found out about their plans. Apparently he had been aware of Lois' movements and had kept an eye on her.

Knowing what would happen, the adults knew they had to maintain a lower profile than they had already. Lois retired from reporting and Ray took on a job as a history teacher. Honestly he preferred science but that would make it too obvious. Selina relocated to Paris due to the American authorities tracking her every move. Tim did the perfect cover-up by using the Wayne fortune to live it up as a playboy billionaire. Daphne already had a job as a housekeeper and did not have a need for a cover-up. Steve literally had to go into deep hiding. He had been trying to find out who the president really was using his marine connections. The only thing he managed to find out before getting caught was that this man did not only want to rid the world of superheroes but was eliminating all the villains and any possible rivalries to his presidency. Since nobody was able to take on him, he had been president for a little under forty years now. Steve concluded that he didn't age because he had stumbled upon Ra al Ghul's Lazarus Pits. Who he truly was, he did not manage to discover. But one fact remained unchanged. This man was somebody the League had come into contact with before. Otherwise, there would be no possible way he could have known so much about them to be able to kill them all.

After the adults had finished explaining everything Bruce walked up to Daphne. "How long have you known?"

Daphne knew what he meant. He wanted to know how long she had known he was the reincarnation of Bruce Wayne. "I didn't always know. You can say it was a coincidence that it was precisely me that ended up working for your family. Somehow, though, I always suspected it. My greatest fear was the confirmation. I knew what would happen for it to come true and I prayed I was wrong. You were such a sweet child that I didn't want for you to go through the same experience twice but it happened, you lost your parents and that's when I accepted who you truly were. Any doubt I had left was taken away when you brought home your two friends Clark and Diana."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded to know.

"You were still a child and I didn't want to take that away from you by saying that what happened to you was no accident. And it wasn't my decision. We had to tell you as a group when all three of you were ready to hear the truth."

"How did you guys confirm me and Clark were well you know?" Diana interrupted.

"I took care of that," Mr. Palmer spoke up. "That's one of the reasons I became a teacher in the first place. I have access to everyone's records and can call a parent or legal guardian in a matter of seconds. So I used my sources to find out exactly who you guys are. And not surprisingly you turned out to be exactly as Daphne suspected. Your guys' history matched that of the original Clark and Diana. If anything we were lucky that you all ended up in the same city. We had Selina traveling the world at Tim's expense trying to find clues on your guys' whereabouts. I think she had too much fun though because if I recall correctly she seemed a little down when we told her she no longer had to keep searching."

"So then what happened to Dr. Fate?" Clark asked.

"He used up too much power when contacting the Gods for us," Lois lied. "It took a tremendous toll in him and made him an energy being. That's why he was sent to you in dreams."

"Then what you're saying is that he showed us that monster for a reason?" Diana asked confused.

"What monster?" Lois asked, concerned. They had no idea that Dr. Fate had shown the kids some monster. It was his responsibility to activate their dormant powers and hint at their destiny but not show them a monster.

Diana sat down and thought for a moment. She turned to Bruce and Clark and they went over how it looked. Finally they came to an agreement and Diana spoke up. "Ok if we remember correctly it was over ten feet tall, had charcoal colored skin, bat like wings, and piercing red eyes. Fate said it had something to do with our destiny now."

If Lois was holding anything she would have dropped it. "I'm sure it's nothing," she lied again and made a face to the adults to agree with her. They did. The only thing they didn't need right now was the teens worrying about the thing that had managed to kill them in their past lives. But that didn't stop her from worrying. What if something big was coming and Fate just forgot to mention it.

"One last question," Bruce stated. "Who is Shadow? Do you guys know her?" It was really two questions but the base of them was the same.

Selina and Steve automatically stood up like as if the question was directly associated with them and unknowingly to the teens it was.

"Yes we know who she is," Selina grabbed Steve's arm. She gave them a forced smile that looked overall sad and disappointed. Her eyes looked on the verge of tears and filled with years of mourning and suffering that just right now seemed to be too much for her to handle.

**A/N Yes it's a cliffhanger. Don't we all love those? Ok so I am postponing the introduction of the other league members until after the next chapter. It turns out the secrets of the past were a lot more than I had originally intended and I couldn't wrap up the chapter in a way to have the next one ready for the new characters but I promise they will be in the chapter after the next. Now I would like to take this moment to give thanks to my many readers. A special thanks to Acorlin95, Starter, and Aristocrata UK I for sending in the longest reviews. And a special thanks to Joan, otherwise known as jforever764, for pitching me an idea. I recommend you guys read her story Batgirl Rises. Oh this is also an invitation to let you guys know that I do take your guys ideas into consideration but let it be known that if I put them into my story it will be in an unexpected chapter. Can't ruin the story for you guys now can I. So sorry for the delay but I hope you guys liked the chapter. Review please.**


	8. The Ambush

**Chapter 8 (The Ambush)**

**A/N This chapter pretty much picks up from where the last one left off. Before I forget I forgot to thank one person in my last chapter. Thank you, Dextra2, for reading both of my stories. Sorry no spoilers but enjoy.**

"Who is she?" Bruce asked losing his patience.

"She's…she's…our granddaughter," Selina confessed.

"How?" Bruce asked unfazed. It almost looked like Selina was about to break down into total tears but she remained calm. This however did not matter to Bruce. He wanted to know the truth no matter how it was delivered.

Selina remained quiet, so Steve answered. "She is the daughter of my daughter and her son."

"Who are the other parents?" Diana asked.

"And exactly what happened?" Clark interrupted.

"I'll tell you what happened," Lois interrupted. She gave Selina and Steve a look that said _May I_. They both nodded not wanting to tell what happened but knowing they would eventually have to cut into Lois' story.

"Please everyone sit down," Lois gestured casually. Everybody did so, but some felt the need to leave the room since the story didn't apply to them in any way. When Lois noticed them heading for the door she quickly added, "Everybody sit down." Content with herself she started. "Okay so we all know it's no rumor that Selina was with Batman, Steve with Wonder Woman, and I with Superman." They all sort of nodded or gave a motion to their agreement. "Well what most people don't know is that Selina conceived a son to Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince a daughter to Steve Trevor. I likewise conceived a child to Clark Kent." She paused, sniffing a little from what would soon become even too emotional for her. She calmed herself, remembering that she was supposed to be the strong one here. "Now I don't know how it happened but the president found out about all of our expectancies. Diana had already had her child and so had Selina. But the man (president) apparently wanted to torture us further. He evidently was not contempt with killing our individual spouses. I at the time was still pregnant and vacation in Malone trying to stop mourning over Clark's demise.

"Well anyways I spent the first seven months of my pregnancy there. Then I took a boat, because apparently I was not allowed to air travel, to the states. Since Metropolis was no longer my home given the fact that it was destroyed I decided to settle down in New York City and work for the New York Times. That was the worst mistake I could have made, I realize now. The man was expecting me to return and knowing my interest in journalism he knew I would most likely return to reporting at some huge company. He was right, the urge was just too strong to resist. So over the next few weeks I periodically checked in with my doctor to monitor the pregnancy. He told me everything was fine and that I would have a healthy child. Then one very unfortunate day I decided to go to the doctor's again.

"That day my regular doctor was not there. Instead I got attended by another doctor. Little did I know that, that doctor was hired by that dreadful man. She did a regular checkup and then told me that something was wrong with the fetus. I told her that it was impossible, that my regular doctor said the fetus was fine but she was so persistent and persuasive that something had to be done. Starting to panic, I never asked her what was wrong but instead decided to let her do what she felt was needed. She said all that was needed was to inject me with a _special_ medicine and I stress _special_. I allowed her, giving in due to the fact that she was a doctor from what I knew of her at the moment. She took out a needle filled with a green liquid and injected it into my stomach. After she said I would be fine and allowed me to leave. I thought nothing of it.

"That was until my pregnancy symptoms started disappearing. I thought it was just because I was going into the last month and things were to get easier from there until the birth came. Finally the day came when my water broke. I was with my friend Iris West, a fellow reporter who also lost a loved one in the annihilation of the Justice League. She immediately rushed me to the nearest hospital." Lois started tearing a bit. Steve came up to her to try and comfort her but he knew that nothing really could. "The delivery was a still birth. It was then that I realized what the woman had injected into me. It was liquid kryptonite and a highly concentrated amount at that. Everything sank in at that moment. The off meeting, my missing doctor, the shot, the lack of symptoms. This whole thing was arranged. It took me a while to put the pieces together but I finally understood who had done it. It had to be someone with power and a hate for metas. It was President Joseph Thorul, the man who killed the Justice League. I vowed revenge that day." Lois couldn't handle it anymore and lightly started crying into Steve's shoulder. Steve motioned for Selina to explain their part of the explanation. She did.

"Steve's and my story has no happy ending either," Selina started. "Shadow is a relative of ours you can say. Shortly after Lois lost her child, President Thorul came after us. He knew that we had children belonging to Batman and Wonder Woman and he saw this as a threat. It could lead to another uprising he called it. To make a long story short basically he came to our individual homes and kidnapped our children. We searched for them of course but eventually lost hope and thought they were dead. We were wrong. For some reason he decided not to kill them. Well at least not immediately. He took them to Cadmus and raised them as experiments until the age they hit puberty. Then…" Selina's voice broke off for a moment. She knew what he did to them and that she would have to confess but it was just so vile, twisted, and plain out disgusting. "…he forced them to…mate." This drew a gasp from everybody who was not aware of their past. Well everybody except Bruce who seemed unfazed. His reaction or rather lack of reaction did not surprise her. She knew that deep inside he did feel exactly as the others did. "That's were Shadow comes in. She was the offspring. After she was born they got rid of my son and Steve's daughter. They had what they wanted. A weapon. To them it was the perfect thing. A child of both Batman's and Wonder Woman's lineage was unstoppable to them. It clearly didn't hurt that she was also related to Catwoman a stealthy and uncaught criminal and Steve Trevor an elite marine." She stopped having covered everything. Out of exhaustion, she laid her head back and let out a few tears.

"Does she know?" Bruce brought her out of her moment of thought.

Selina raised her head. "No, Shadow does not know of her parents or even us her grandparents. We found out when Steve broke into government records to find out who President Thorul really is. We thought they had killed them until then."

"If Cadmus had her," Clark inquired, "then how did she get out? I mean I doubt they just let her go."

"You are very right," Steve said letting go of Lois who calmed down a bit. "She escaped. We don't know how exactly but we know it was no accident. From the records I managed to get a hold of, I learned that the power went off in the entire complex. Now when you think about it, it doesn't really tie up. Cadmus is one of the most technologically sophisticated companies in the world. For all the power to just go off and the generators to not activate, rises some suspicion."

"So you're saying someone helped her," Diana spoke up.

"That's what we think," Steve confirmed. "But as to who helped her we do not know."

"Maybe it was President Thorul," Clark suggested.

"It couldn't have been," Steve corrected. "The stolen files clearly said that this whole operation was done in secret and that when he found out, he set out to kill her. It was ironically supposed to happen the day after the breakout."

"But it is very obvious that he sent her to track us," Bruce spoke. "I doubt she would have even known of our existence if it wasn't him that was pulling the strings."

"We know that," Lois spoke. "We have no doubt that he is using her, but at the same time we are positive that he is not the one who broke her out. The only thing we can assume is that he cannot contain her so he instead takes advantage of what she is capable." Lois glanced at her watch and saw that it was late already. "Now it's getting late, we should all go get some rest. Cassie will take you to your quarters and the rest will be explained tomorrow."

Later that Night

Cassie took each of them to their rooms; well rather she assigned an Amazon to take them. She was after all the queen and did not take orders but give them. Bruce and Clark got a room to the far east of the castle and Diana to the west. The boys were made to share a room so that they would not get bored and attempt to bother any of the women on the island.

In the middle of the night, Diana snuck into the boys' room. This was prohibited she knew, but they needed to discuss some things that they rather the adults not hear. She was dressed in a night gown that the Amazons had given her after treating her injuries from the incident with Shadow. Apparently, she was lucky to be an Amazon or her hand would have never healed. It was fine now and the scars were almost completely gone. One of the Amazons assured her they would be gone by the morning. That if she was anything like her past life, then her skin would remain flawless. The gown they gave her was obviously not modern. It hung loose around her body but was made out of a white silk. Diana could not stand it draping around her like curtains so of course she asked for a sewing kit and tailored it to her hourglass like body. Now it fit her like a glove.

She walked into the boys' room to be shocked. They were in their boxers and obviously not ashamed it in front of her.

Clark noticed her discomfort and said, "We were not going to wear the dresses they gave us." This relaxed Diana a bit enough to face them. She had unconsciously turned around after seeing them. It was habit since never in her life had she half naked men, not including the time at Bruce's house.

"They're gowns, not dresses," Diana corrected Clark.

Clark eyed her up and down until she got a little uncomfortable again. Bruce couldn't help but feel like punching him for looking at her that but he couldn't hit his best friend, no matter how strong the urge was. "Yours seems to fit nicely," Clark finally said.

"I had it tailored," Diana said with a bat of her eyelashes.

"So are we going to get down to business or what?" Bruce asked. Diana walked up to him. She came really close. They were only millimeters apart.

"Of course," she said with all the lust in the world. One way or another she was going to sneak her way into Bruce's heart, even if it would kill her.

Bruce backed up a little now feeling like he was naked. Only Diana could affect him this way, but he would never show or God forbid say it. He walked over to Clark, feeling much more comfortable standing next to another male he had no physical attraction to. That did not mean, however, that Clark was ugly. In reality they both had bodies that looked like they were carved from stone. Bodies that one would think only the gods could have. Diana too had a beautiful body. Hers in contrast though was curved like a model's body. She was lean, average height, and plain out stunning. Aphrodite in comparison had nothing on her. Everyone wanted them, even those of the same gender. They knew this from uncomfortable experiences of people asking them out. They undeniably denied them but easily as to not hurt them.

"So what do you guys think?" Bruce asked.

"Uh be a little more specific," Diana rolled her eyes.

Bruce averted from rolling his eyes back at her. "What do you guys think about this whole reincarnation business? Do you guys trust them?"

"Of course," Diana said quickly. "It's obviously true. Look at what we have been through in like two days. One day we were normal teenagers and then all this crazy shit happened and now we're super. There's no question to it really. How else do you explain everything that has happened and don't say coincidence or I will punch the teeth out of your mouth."

Bruce grunted. He didn't like to be threatened, especially not by Diana. In a way, he felt like he should be the strong one not her, but obviously she had the strength to take care of herself.

"Yah I'm with Diana on this one," Clark spoke. "I mean these people have done nothing but help us so why not trust them. They've told us the truth."

"Not the whole truth," Diana admitted. Bruce was shocked. He was just about to say that. He thought that he was the only one who had picked up on it.

"How do you know?" Bruce asked Diana.

"I don't know," Diana started, "I just felt it. They weren't exactly lying but I could tell they were keeping something from us."

"That's crazy Diana," Clark spoke, "how could you have possibly known?"

"It's not crazy," Bruce talked. "I got the same feeling."

Bruce was about to say something when Clark spoke. "Do you guys hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" Bruce asked, not hearing anything.

"I hear it," Diana stood up. "But's it really unclear."

"It's the grownups," Clark said. "I can hear them talking."

Bruce came to the conclusion that Diana's and Clark's hearing was now enhanced. Who knew what other senses were also. He guessed only time would tell. "What are they saying?" Bruce asked.

Clark spoke first. "Ok Lois just said we can't tell them the price and the rest agreed."

"She mentioned we wouldn't do what had to be done if we knew," Diana added.

"Ok now Selina reminded them that they only have until we reunite with the rest of the founding members." Clark continued. "Oh shit they're heading this way."

"Diana hide," Bruce said shoving her under the bed.

"Ok," she nagged complying. She went under the bed and Bruce and Clark jumped under the covers. They pretended to be asleep.

Steve and Tim walked into the room. They checked on the boys. Convinced they were asleep they headed out. "Now let's go check on Diana," Tim said before exiting. Steve elbowed him in the ribs for almost waking the boys. "Oh sorry," Tim whispered.

As soon as they exited, they sprang from where they were standing. Diana looked the most worried. "What are we going to do? If I'm not in my room they'll know I'm here."

Bruce had a million thoughts running through his head. He knew she was right. And the Amazons would assume the worst. What would they say when they saw their reincarnated princess with two half naked boys. They wouldn't say anything, but have them castrated right on the spot. "I got it," Bruce finally came to a conclusion. "Clark, fly her to her room."

"I'm not so sure I can do it," Clark confessed. "I fell face first last time."

Diana walked up to Clark and put her hand on his bare shoulder and the other on his face. "Please Clark, I'd do it myself but apparently flying hasn't kicked in for me yet."

"Ok," he agreed. "But if we fall it's Bruce's fault for suggesting this."

"Ok," Diana agreed much to Bruce's dislike. She jumped into his arms and settled in bridal style.

Clark closed his eyes and prayed that this would work. When he opened them he was already slightly floating off the floor. He couldn't help but send a smile at Bruce. Ever so slowly, Clark flew toward the window. He noticed Diana had her eyes closed and was holding on to him tightly. She was afraid of falling and that hurt Clark a little that she didn't trust him but he did say that he fell last time he flew. So really he couldn't blame her. "Diana," he said softly. She opened her eyes. "Which room is yours?" She looked around and pointed to the one with the balcony. Without much haste, Clark flew effortlessly to the room. He set Diana on the balcony.

"Thank you," she muttered, and then hugged him.

"Don't worry about it Diana," he said.

"Now go before they see you," she said shooing him away.

He gladly obliged now that he felt more confident in his ability to fly. At a faster pace he flew back to his room.

The Next Day—Near Themyscira

Shadow sat patiently in a chair waiting for the captain's orders. It wasn't really necessarily given that she was in charge of this whole operation but she didn't know a thing about how to manage a fleet of navy ships. This is why President Thorul assigned her what he called a partner. She knew that it was because he didn't trust her. He had reason to. She was known for betraying to save herself when the circumstances called for it. Shadow didn't really care because she didn't trust him either. Well at least not enough for him to her who her parents were. That's what she wanted as her prize after all this was over. She had plenty of money given that she sort of made a career of being a jewel burglar. To her it felt like as if it were in her blood. But what she wanted more than any jewel, treasure, or form of money was to know where she came from.

Only one person had ever shown her true kindness. An employee in Cadmus. That one lady in Cadmus, Shadow came to think of as mother figure. When all the other scientists would torture her, this lady would only come to console and cherish her. Thinking about her made Shadow's eyes shiny. She could still remember how the woman looked. She was anything but skinny, had short black hair, and chocolate colored skin. That woman was the only other person Shadow wanted to see again. She hadn't seen her in years. When the other scientists figured out that that one particular woman was being very amiable with her they fired her and then punished Shadow for corresponding. The only thing Shadow regretted was never getting to know her name. The woman always told her it was better if she didn't know, but that in time she would. She told her that in the future she would have to save her grandfather. That that was her destiny regardless of what the other scientists told her. Only now did Shadow think to how that was possible if the other scientists told her that _all_ of her family was dead. Another reason to find this woman and get the true names of her parents from President Thorul.

"We're here," the captain spoke, bringing Shadow out of her thoughts.

Shadow blinked. "Then fire all weapons and prepare for battle," she commanded.

"As you wish," the captain responded. He gave the order and the bombs launched.

Themyscira Castle—Dining Hall—Ten Minutes Earlier

Everybody was in the dining hall waiting for their breakfast. They had some very important things to discuss, Lois had said. A couple of Amazons came out of the kitchen sporting some very heavy dishes loaded to the brim with food. They set them down on the table in front of their queen and retreated back to their duties when Cassie gave them her word.

As they begun to eat, the conversation started.

"Now," Lois begun, "we have some very important things to go over."

"And that would be?" Clark asked eyeing Lois down. He knew now that she had been the apparent love of his life in his past life and wondered if she still felt the same. He obviously did not but that didn't mean he couldn't care about her. Even now, though, in her old age, Lois still looked like she could take care of herself. The woman was tough as nails and frankly she wasn't alone.

"We have to discuss the other reincarnated members," Mr. Palmer spoke up. "We know they are alive too and we have to get you guys together before President Thorul finds them."

"How do we find them?" Diana asked.

"We have some leads," Tim spoke up. "Using my—er Bruce Wayne's fortune I was able to pinpoint were some of them might be. Well actually just one so far."

"And which one is that?" Bruce asked, after swallowing a bite of cantaloupe.

"The reincarnation of The Flash," Mr. Palmer continued.

Bruce remembering from the comics that The Flash was the most immature of the team said, "Maybe we should go looking for the others first."

"No," Lois almost yelled. "We have our chance right now. Don't you think that if we know where he is, then Thorul won't either."

Bruce knowing she was right said, "And where exactly is he?"

"Missouri," Selina answered him. "To be precise Keystone City."

"It used to known as Central City," Steve added. "But of course they had to change the name after what happened. Along with a bunch of other cities."

"Of course," Diana rolled her eyes. She noticed she was playing with her food and stopped remembering her manners. "So why exactly do you guys want to get us together?"

Everybody except the teens seized eating. Almost like as if practiced, they dropped their silverware simultaneously. After that, the teens slowly set their forks down. The adults looked at the seventeen years old, like as if they hadn't figured it out yet. Becoming self-conscious the adolescents looked down.

"Because," Daphne broke the silence. "If there is anything that we have learned is that the world needs a Justice League. This tyrant needs to be brought down and there is nobody else who can do it. Believe me we have tried but failed." Everybody stood up. Daphne walked over to the teens. "When this world is surrounded in darkness only a chosen few can hold the torch to light it up again and that is you three." She paused. "Like your father said Bruce." She now looked directly at him. "Light shines brightest in the darkest night."

Before anything else could be said, a loud explosion caught their ear. Soon more followed. An Amazon came running into the dining hall. "My queen," she yelled, "we are under attack!"

"What?" Cassie said. "This is impossible. Our island is protected by the gods." After another explosion was heard Cassie said, "Man the boundaries and prepare for battle."

"Already on it," the Amazon replied. "Shall you lead us?"

"Not yet," Cassie spoke. "Tell Artemis to take control for the time being. I will be with you join you in a moment."

"We have to get the children out of here," Lois exclaimed.

"We can help," Diana offered.

"No you can't," Selina spoke. "If it's who we think it is then we have to get you off of this island as soon as possible."

"How?" Bruce asked.

Tim jumped up. "We can take my jet," he offered. "But it only fits four," he added sadly.

"It doesn't matter," Lois cleared, "Tim just take the children and take them to Iris' home. They'll be safe for there for the moment. And while there look for the Flash."  
"What about you guys?" Clark asked.

"We'll be fine," Selina waved her hand. "We'll meet up with you in a few days. We just have to stabilize the situation here."

"Go!" Lois yelled when a bomb blasted a whole in a near wall.

"Follow me kids," Tim ordered. They ran through several halls making swift turns to avoid bombs and attacking men.

Diana already panting, remembered about her pearl necklace. She couldn't leave it behind. In a second she turned around and ran for her room.

"Diana!" Bruce yelled. He started running after her and soon so were Tim and Clark.

Diana having had a head start was a little head of the boys. She turned a corner and jumped into her room barely avoiding oncoming bullets. She tossed her stuff around until she came across her jewelry box. She grabbed it and emptied its contents all over the floor. The last thing to fall was the necklace and Diana quickly picked it up. She turned around to face three men all dressed in black. _Not these guys again_, Diana thought. They had guns and surely Diana did not have full on invincibility. She remembered how bad Shadow was able to hurt her. There was no telling what a bullet could do to her.

Before Diana could react, the three men were on the ground unconscious and in their place stood Tim Drake along with Bruce and Clark.

"Diana what the hell is wrong with you?" Clark yelled. "You could have gotten yourself killed."  
"I know, I know," Diana defended. "I just needed to save these pearls." She showed them to him. Bruce looked up and saw the pearls again and once more they reminded him of something. Now that he thought about it they reminded him of his mother, but his mother never wore pearls. She was more of diamond person.

"Well if that's all you needed to get," Tim started, "then if you don't mind we should really get going." They needed not to answer. The statement spoke for itself. It said _hurry up and let's get the hell out of here_.

This time when they ran, nothing stopped them. They ran through several broken hallways, dodging bullets, and knocking down armed men at the same time. Finally they came to the sight of the jet. It was kind of small but it was big enough to fit the four of them. Tim jumped in first and started up the engines and then was followed up by Clark.

Bruce was helping Diana in when someone called her name. She jumped out to see who it was. It was Cassie flying towards them. "Diana wait," she called out.

"What? What happened?" Diana asked walking closer to Cassie.

"Before you go take these," she took off her gauntlets and handed them to Diana.

"I can't take these, they're yours," Diana refused.

"No, no, no don't be modest you'll need them," she shoved them into her hands. "Now go!" Diana argued no further. She allowed Bruce to help her in the jet and then he followed.

The jet rose and then took off. From the window, Diana could see that the island started to go up in flames and in the center of those flames she could see a small black dot. It was clear who the dot was and that it was watching them leave. It was none other than her granddaughter.

**A/N Ok so that's the end of the chapter. Hoped you liked it. Now as you can see, you guys were close to figuring out who Shadow's real parents were, but I wasn't going to make it so easy. So to clarify, Shadow's parents are the children of Diana and Steve, and Bruce and Selina. Now just so that you all know President Joseph Thorul real name is not Joseph Thorul. You guys can guess his name if you want. I know real DC fans have probably already figured it out BUT I will not confirm or deny any names. His true identity will be revealed in a later chapter, most likely near the end but until then too bad. I don't want to kill all the suspense and there will be more secrets. So I promise to try and update sooner but it would make it go a lot faster with the more reviews I get. Thanks for reading.**


	9. Fast

**Chapter 9 (Fast)**

**A/N Ok so you guys had made some pretty good guesses at who the villain is, but as I said I will not reveal the true name until a later chapter. Rest a sure, though, that most of you will be shocked by the revelation. A brief summary for this chapter is that it will cover the introduction of a certain speedster. Enjoy. **

Keystone City—Two Days Later

Tim landed the jet in a forest in the outskirts of Keystone city. The journey had taken two whole days due to weather interference. They did however have time to call ahead to let Iris know they were coming. She of course had questions and Tim had to clear up the situation to her. She wasn't necessarily part of their group to bring about the next coming of the Justice League but she was aware of its existence and helped out when needed. Tim turned on the camouflage mode on the jet and then ordered everyone out. Throughout the whole trip, he noticed, the teens had been abnormally quiet. He couldn't blame them, though, in just a couple of days their lives had drastically changed and the worst was yet to come. He still however could not help but sympathize with them. Two of them had their guardians kidnapped and probably the third now too. He related to them in a way. He too had had everything he ever held dear taken away from him.

Well except one person, but he barely knew that person. Out there in the world was Jason Todd, his only living family member. He only saw him once and that wasn't even in person. He saw him in a homemade video Bruce had made when living about the short happy of Jason Todd. Of course, that happened before Jason's death and resurrection. Funny it seemed that everyone now at days was being resurrected. He hoped that one day if just by accident or a stroke of luck, he got to see his adoptive brother. By now he should be well over sixty years old but age didn't really matter when it came to family.

Thinking of Jason Todd made Tim remember the day the Wayne Manor had been attacked. It was well past midnight and everything was too quiet. The city was already known as NovaCity but its reputation was still that of Gotham. There were still criminals and thugs at every corner but for some reason that night everything was still. Nightwing and he had just gotten back from patrol, which was illegal and subjected to life in prison if caught. Well they knew better than to get caught. And they also knew that life in prison was not the punishment. Not one caught vigilante had been heard of since being taken by the authorities. That of course meant only one thing, they were killed the first instant they were removed from the public's eyes. That didn't stop them anyways; they were too determined and hard headed to stop what they had devoted their lives to. Barbara also known as Batgirl, on the other hand, was not quite as enthusiastic about continuing the never ending battle against crime. She hung up the mantle of Batgirl and took to coordinating the missions from the batcave. Even that though she didn't want to do but she couldn't convince the boys to stop so better safe than sorry and keep an eye on them from the giant monitor in the cave.

They all lived in the manor since Bruce had died. Since Dick had moved out before Bruce had died and Barbara was legally nothing his, Bruce had all his company shares, property, and fortune left to Tim Drake but the boy was underage to manage it all. Hence is why Dick moved in with Tim. Bruce had not adopted Tim but did have some sort of custody over him. Dick quickly adopted him to keep away people who were after Tim after learning of the great amount of power the boy now held. It was a challenge but he got Tim. This great battle over him is what Tim now assumed led to the demise of Barbara and Dick. It must have caught the attention of the president.

On that godforsaken night that Tim and Dick had returned home early, Barbara was waiting for them. She said that they had gotten a bunch of strange calls when they were gone asking if Dick was home but every time she answered no and then tried to ask for the caller's name they would just hang up. Both Dick and Tim dismissed it as a simple crank call but Barbara was not as convinced. She made them stay up a little longer until the phone rang again. She went to go pick it up but before she could speak into it, Dick grabbed it and yelled into it 'Who is it?' There was no answer. They stayed up another hour to see if they would call again. They didn't and eventually the three headed upstairs to catch up on their sleep.

Around three in the morning, Tim woke up to the sound of a breaking wall. Barbara ran into his room and told him they were under attack. She told him to remain calm and that they would find a way to get out. They quickly packed his stuff and made their way into the hallway. There stood Dick fighting off around ten armed men. He dodged bullets and hits with acrobatic grace. For a moment Dick seemed unstoppable. It was too good to be true. After Dick took out all of the men, they ran into Bruce's unoccupied room. Everything had remained as it was when Bruce was still alive. Both Dick and Barbara frantically searched for something. While they were searching, Tim took the time to look out the window. He saw a large truck pull up into the house's driveway. It was made out of thick metal, which surely could have held Superman. The back door to the truck opened and Tim could see two piercing red eyes staring in his general direction. He warned Dick and Barbara but they said to wait. They still hadn't found the thing they were looking for. When Barbara finally found it, it turned out to be a binder filled with papers.

Quickly, they jumped out of the window and ran towards the coast. They didn't get far before that monster caught up to them. It shot them with heat vision and they barely managed to jump out of the way. Dick volunteered to stay and fight while Barbara and Tim made a break for the hidden batsub in the ocean. Barbara was hesitant at first but she didn't have much of choice but to comply. She and Tim ran over to the ocean still in distance enough to hear Dick scream at the top of his lungs. Barbara turned her head at once. They could hear Dick's cries of pain. The monster was torturing him and Barbara couldn't tolerate it. She had tears in her eyes. She looked at where she knew the battle was taking place and back at Tim, taking glances between the two. She came to a decision. Tim still remembered her exact words.

She knelt down next to Tim and handed him the binder. "Tim listen," she said holding up his chin. Tim had started crying and was very confused about what was happening. He was only thirteen years old and in a stage of total vulnerability. Barbara knew that. "Tim I need you to take these papers and go." She was crying in between words. "These will secure your future. Don't lose them, you hear?" She talked to him like he was still a baby. And in a way he was, at least to her. Tim nodded. "You're a big boy now," she said. "But you have to go. I have to go help Dick. Do you remember how to activate the sub?" Tim nodded remembering that all he had to do was turn on the autopilot. "Remember we love you," she said and then pulled him into a tight hug. Tim felt like he was suffocating but suffocating in a grip of love. She wiped the tears off of Tim's eyes and kissed him on the cheeks. "Go," she said pushing him towards the sub. He obliged not yet understanding what was happening. He ran into the sub and turned on the autopilot. Using the periscope, he saw Barbara being attacked by the monster. It had Dick in one hand, already lifeless and Barbara in the other. She struggled to get out, but the monster just smashed her into the ground. She was semiconscious but still had the instinct to move. The sub was taking its time to start up and for some reason Tim couldn't get his eyes off of Barbara.

He was crying even harder when he saw that she tried to get up but couldn't. She couldn't move her legs and resigned herself to trying to crawl away. Tim could see the blood dripping from her mouth making her lips redder than a rose. Her skin was bruised badly, making her look like she had purple cheetah spots. Her perfect red hair was pointing out in all directions. All the fear in the world was shown on the expression on her face. Tim for a moment considered going out to help her but he felt so helpless himself and it felt as if something was holding him down forcing him to watch the entire thing go down. He saw the monster slowly walking up to Barbara. The look on its face showed that it was enjoying this. It had some sort of intelligence that allowed it to savor. And it seemed to grow smarter by every passing minute. Tim nearly choked on his breath when he saw the monster stand right in front of a broken down Barbara. It stared at her with those wretched eyes and slowly raised its foot. Barbara opened her mouth in a gasp and tried to crawl away. It was too late. The monster squished her with his foot. The sound of her bones cracking was deafening and worse was the scream that came before it. It released all of her pain and anguish at once. Tim couldn't take it anymore; he dropped to the floor of the sub into the fetal position. Wrapping his arms around his legs, he cried harder than he ever had. The two people he loved more than anything in his life were killed right before his eyes and he chose to watch. It was sick. He felt sick knowing that he could have done something but no. He stood there and watched like coward. He was speechless the whole time. He blamed himself for their deaths. If he would have never come into their lives then they wouldn't have died. Bruce wouldn't have left him his fortune which in turn wouldn't have caught the attention of President Thorul. Then Dick and Barbara wouldn't have had to die at his expense.

"Tim," Diana said, bring him out of his memories. She had seen a tear slide down the side of his face and couldn't help but say something. She had noticed earlier that he was lost in thought or rather memories since only those could bring someone to feel so much to the point of tears. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he replied shaking his head. "Nothing is wrong."

Diana knew he was lying. He was obviously being trouble with something but it was none of her business to butt in. She took a closer look at him when he wasn't looking and saw that he was obviously the youngest of the adults they had come to meet. Probably no older than thirty she thought. "Where to?" she asked.

"That way," he pointed north. "Iris is waiting for us at a rendezvous point. We'll be staying with her for a while."

"Is that supposed to mean until we find the Flash?" Bruce asked. Tim nodded.

They walked through the forest for several hours until they finally came to a road. From there, they only had to walk for several more minutes until they came to a car. An old woman with vibrant red hair and emerald green eyes stepped out of it. She waved at Tim with a smile on her face. When they came up to her, they shook her hand and introduce themselves.

"Oh no need for names," she said cheerfully. "I already know who you are. But you should probably know that I'm Iris West."

"We know," Clark smiled. "Tim told us all about you on the way here." He was the only who had spoken on the trip. The teens just nodded or shook their heads to let him know they were still there.

"I'm sure he did," she looked at Tim. "Well hop on in. From what I've been told, we have work to do." Tim took shotgun while the teens took the backseats with Diana sitting in between the two boys. It was a short ride into the city. They arrived at Iris' home in no time. It was in a good neighborhood. Very good neighborhood actually, she lived in the rich people's side of town. And from what they knew, she was a retired reporter just like Lois Lane who wasn't doing so well financially. But this woman seemed to have a life of luxury. Then again she didn't spend her money in the group the others had formed. They walked up the steps to the porch. The door was made of oak, Bruce recognized. It was a double door and clearly very expensive just like the rest of the house. Iris opened it and showed them in. From the inside, the house looked even bigger. It was three stories with spiral staircases on opposite walls. The floor was mahogany and walls painted a peach color. To Bruce and Diana this would feel just like home, Clark assumed. He on the other hand was not used to living in such extravagantly huge places. A farm boy at heart he was.

Iris took them all to their rooms and for the first time in some time, Clark and Bruce did not have to share a room. There rooms however were adjacent from each other. Diana's was next to Iris' and Tim's was down a hall. He preferred to be alone, so did Bruce but he wasn't going say anything as he was clearly a guest and nothing else. Around five, they were all called downstairs for dinner.

Diana and Iris were in the gravel kitchen huddled around the stove. Without a doubt, Diana had volunteered with the food. That was her way. She was always giving and trying to help in some manner. The boys walked into the kitchen to help take the plates of food to the dining room table. They did ever so effortlessly.

Once at the table, everybody started eating their spaghetti and garlic bread sticks with a garden salad on the side. It was simply scrumptious, given that they were all famished. Iris and Tim talked about the all the hearsays spreading around. Diana, Clark, and Bruce talked about Shadow. Now that Diana and Bruce knew that this lady was in a way their granddaughter, they had some rather mixed feelings about her. They knew she had no idea who she was and couldn't exactly go up to her and tell her. It would be suicide, since she was obviously hired to kill her own family unknowingly. It seemed fate just couldn't get any more twisted before straightening out again. Clark sort of acted as a mediator on behalf of their different opinions over how the situation should be handled. Since he had no personal connection to Shadow, he was not blinded by family morals as Bruce and Diana were and to complicate things they both had very different ideas of how a family was. Clark could only do his best to help them come to terms with their newly found granddaughter.

Iris cleared her throat. "So how are you guys settling in?"

"Fine I guess," Clark answered taking a bite from his bread stick. Iris frowned

"Well I like it here," Diana spoke. "It's very accommodating and comfortable. Reminds me of home." Iris smiled. Bruce stayed quiet. He preferred not to share his opinions over the housing he was put under. They were not pretty. Not that anything was wrong with the house but he was just so used to living in the manor.

"So we'll start the search tomorrow for the Flash?" Tim asked Iris.

"No," she answered blatantly.

"No?" he asked. "Why?"

Iris faced him like the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. "Because look at these kids. They're dressed in rags." She exaggerated. "We'll start the day after. Tomorrow we go shopping."

Tim tried to complain "But-

"No buts," Iris said sternly. "My decision is final." And with that she got up and left to her room.

Everything remained uncomfortably quiet until Bruce spoke directly to Tim. "How?" he asked looking around.

Tim knew what he meant, but Diana and Clark did not. "Life insurance," he answered. "She got it on the first Flash while he was still alive. And then later on the second one."

"I'm assuming Barry Allen and then Wally West," Bruce stated.

Tim nodded. "Don't think that she did it for the money. Barry had gotten it for her. She didn't really have a choice but he died before the annihilation of the League. Wally died during. He was the current Flash at that time and the one we are currently looking for." Those were the last words exchanged that night.

Washington D.C.—Same Day—President Thorul's Office

Shadow's heels clicked the whole walk to the president's office. She failed again. The children had evaded her. It was night already so she felt good regardless of her failure. The darkness and shadows felt good to her. They called her and protected her. It was her home, shelter, whatever. The point is the dark made her feel safe. Nobody knew how to manipulate it better than her. By the way, it wasn't a complete failure. She caught five prisoners and got the entire Amazon Island stabilized. Right now troops were being sent to the island to establish marshal law.

She could still remember the look on the Amazons' faces when they fought her. They had not expected her to be so strong and even less well trained. She defeated them easily with the exception of one, the queen. She was a challenge. The queen was obviously stronger than the others and could fly. Her tactics were also more modern but she still retained the Amazon fighting style. It seemed that the queen had the advantage over her but Shadow wasn't known for playing clean. Since she couldn't fly, she had to use her whip. It was easy to wrap it around the blond queen's legs and slam her to the ground. From there, it was clear who would win.

"Shadow," President Thorul spoke as soon as she walked in. "You have failed me once again."  
"As if it wasn't obvious enough," Shadow averted from rolling her eyes.

He didn't seem too pleased with her tone. "Are you forgetting who's paying you?" he asked with hints of anger.

Shadow knew careless flirting wouldn't work this time so she had to stand up for herself. "I wish I did. That way I wouldn't have to refrain from strangling him. Listen Joseph I don't have to do this and even if I didn't bring them to you I still got you that damn island and those five prisoners."

Joseph was taken aback a little but did good to hide it. "I suppose you did. What are their names?"

"Lois Lane, Cassandra Sandsmark, Steve Trevor, Daphne Pennyworth, and Ray Palmer." She knew there were two others but one of them had gotten away with the children and the other just disappeared.

"Interesting," he said. "And these are all?"

"Yes," she lied convincingly.

He didn't buy her lie but what could he do. Even though he hated to admit it, he needed her. She was the best at what she did and he certainly couldn't get his hands dirty. Not again, not anymore, or at least not yet. "Fine now here is a document of four others I want you to keep an eye out for. They will appear sooner or later, this I know." He handed her the paper and stood up.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

He stopped mid in his tracks. "I have some prisoners to interrogate."

The Next Day—Keystone City Mall

Everybody woke up early. They got as ready as they could before leaving for the mall. It didn't take them much time given that they didn't have a change of clothes yet. Iris drove them there. She said that she would be paying for everything. Before they could complain, she added that she was doing it because if history served right the kids could be tracked with just a swipe of their credit cards. Clark didn't mind that she was paying since really he had no money but he could see that Diana and Bruce weren't so happy about it. They always had everything and never had anything just gifted to them so to them this was a whole new experience.

At the mall, they immediately got into two groups. Iris was with Diana and the boys were together. They decided to meet in the food court after two hours of shopping. Iris gave Tim one of her credit cards saying that they were probably looking for him to. It was now that everybody thanked God that Iris had the good mind to remain on a low profile and help only when needed. They quickly separated and attacked the stores. The girls went on a mad shopping spree buying everything that fit. They justified themselves by saying that they could always return it later. They went to boutiques, outlets, and just about anywhere that sold shoes, clothes, glasses, makeup, and various accessories.

The boys were not much different. They too went just about everywhere. They showed no mercy when it came to spending. They practically ripped the clothing off the manikins and the shoes off of other people. While Clark picked up just about anything, Tim and Bruce mostly focused on getting the clothes of the best quality. And sure enough, there was an abundant amount of it since not everybody in the world was rich. Before meeting up with the girls, though, Tim made them stop at an electronic store. He said he was going to show Bruce how to build some gadgets he in a past life and Dick showed him how to make. This for once, made Bruce genuinely smile. He really had never met anyone as intellectually inspired as him. For once in such a long time, everybody forgot about all their problems and just enjoyed the feel of the moment. It was true happiness that everybody thought money couldn't buy but miraculously it did that day.

When the two hours passed, they all met up in the food court. They sat at table and Tim went to go order them burgers. He came back shortly carrying trays of cheeseburgers, sodas, and French fries. Around them, the people couldn't help but watch. They were after all a peculiar group. An old woman, a young man, and three teenagers that looked just about the age of being legal adults. To top it all off, they were surrounded by bags of clothing.

"Well that was fun," Iris said smiling. "I can't remember the last time I had so much fun." In reality, she sincerely enjoyed the company of the others. She felt alone ever since her fiancé Barry Allen died and even more so when her nephew Wally West died. But now was his second chance at life and she would be damned if she wasn't in it. Reincarnation or not, Wally was still her family. She just hoped they would find him soon. She knew that they weren't the only ones looking for him. It was a race against time but luckily Wally had all the time in the world with his powers and that gave Iris hope that he wouldn't let anyone bad catch him so easily. Then again, it would be equally as hard for them.

"So much fun," Diana said truthfully. "We should do it more often."

"Yah and then we'll have to sell it all when we go bankrupt," Clark laughed. He couldn't believe how much money rich people spent. You'd think they'd be out in the streets the very next day. Diana punched his arm and he let out a small ouch. She was getting stronger. After massaging his arm, he went to grab his soda. It disappeared seconds before he grabbed it. "What the hell?" he said.

"Language," Iris warned. Diana snickered.

A flash of red appeared and then his burger and fries were also gone. "What the…" he trailed off when Iris looked at him. "Didn't you guys see that?"

"See what?" Diana said holding a fry. She was about to put it in her mouth when the same red flash came by her and took it. Diana let out a small scream.

"That," Clark laughed.

"He's here," Bruce said.

"Who's here?" Diana asked.

"Flash," Tim answered in a whisper. "Come on we have to get him."

Everybody dropped their food and shortly after landing on the table it disappeared. "God he's eating everything!" Clark yelled with his hands on his head catching everyone's attention. Feeling a blush coming, he looked away.

"Now's not the time Clark," Diana rolled her eyes.

"She's right," Iris spoke. "We have work to do." She turned to face Tim, but he was already gone. "Classic," she said annoyed while shaking her head. "Come on kids." They ran after Tim with all the bags in their hands. They stepped into the main walkway to see Tim running after a red blur. He was throwing batarangs at it. The people around were panicking. They were in shock with all the commotion but really only a few knew what was happening. The others were just panicking for the sake of panicking.

"Maybe I can shoot him down with my heat vision," Clark proposed.

Bruce elbowed him so hard in the ribs that he almost dropped all the bags on Diana. Would that have made her mad? "Are you stupid? People will see you and you'll probably hurt anyone you just as much as glance at."

"Still harsh though," Clark rubbed his ribs. Bruce did as to elbow him again but didn't.

They continued running through the crowds of people dodging over anybody who got in their way. The red blur seemed to know it was being followed, because it didn't seem to even slow down to steal anymore. Bruce ran a million ideas through his head on how to stop or at least slow it down. None of them seemed to worth the trouble. They would really only cause them to deliberately show off what they could do causing them to draw even more attention. Due to the circumstances, that was one thing they could not afford right now. They could only hope that Tim would somehow catch him.

Iris stopped the three teens mid in their tracks. "Stop!" she yelled whispered. She looked around. "We're drawing too much attention. Let's let Tim handle this. In the meantime let's head for the car."

They all silently nodded and started walking for the nearest exit. All eyes were on them. It felt awkward and the atmosphere felt dense with confusion and even more awkwardly with accusation. Fingers seemed to be pointing at them without actually pointing. It was most uncomfortable and especially for Bruce who wasn't even used to going out in public, let alone causing a scene in the middle of a mall. Slowly, though people seemed to be going back to their own priorities. Apparently, not even they could hold the limelight for long, or so that's what they thought.

Diana stopped walking. She froze where she stood. Her expression was that of shock, disbelief, and anxiety all mixed in one. For a few seconds, the rest of them just continued walking but her absence was quickly noticed. They turned around and hastily went to where she was motionlessly standing. Bruce took one look at her face and noticed that she wasn't breathing. She wasn't even looking but straight ahead.

"Diana, sweetie," Iris started. Her voice was sweet but underneath hid the scent of impatience. "Is something wrong?" Diana just pointed straight ahead. All three of them turned their heads simultaneously. Ahead of them was an electronic store, with flat screen televisions displayed on the windows. They were all on and displaying the same thing. It was an important message straight from the Whitehouse being delivered by the president himself.

Bruce instantly took in the image of the man. Even though he was sitting down behind the all-important presidential desk, Bruce could tell he was about average height. He had pale skin, dark brown hair, and hazel eyes. Remarkably, he looked young. He was probably the youngest president they had ever had. But that couldn't be true, the man they knew who was supposed to be in office should very well be an old man. Not even all the plastic surgery in the world could keep a man looking that young. That is unless there was something he had forgotten. Of course, Steve had said that the man had been using some sort of fountain of youth. If Bruce recalled it right, they were known as the Lazarus Pits. These pits were capable of keeping one alive until they desired but they required frequent use and the side effects were monstrous. Supposedly, anyone who bathed in these pits would go mad with power or just plain out crazy. Well after everything they had learned, it was fair to say that that could be a supposition anymore. It was merely a fact if this man had the mind to kill off the entire Justice League and the world's most notorious criminals.

The man started talking after giving off what could only be described as the world's most genuinely, fake, plastered smile. It was nauseating.

"_Citizens, friends, and dearly loved ones," he started with the same revolting smile. "There are signs of trouble showing. Our peaceful times might be interrupted. This can be prevented though with the help of you the people." He paused._

"_A rebellion is threatening to take down our government. In short, if you anybody out there sees any of the following people you are to contact your local authorities immediately. Thank you that is all."_

The screen went black for a split second and then started flashing pictures. It was pictures of them. The first one was of Bruce, followed by Diana, then by Clark, and finally by Selina Kyle. No Iris West and shockingly no Tim Drake.

Bruce turned around. If they felt like people were staring at them before, now they felt like they were standing naked at Madison Square. It was too much to handle. Iris didn't even have to say run. They just did it on instinct. Using all the energy they had, they ran nonstop until they reached the car. Tim was already there and by looks of it was very exhausted. He hadn't managed to catch the Flash but who could really and right now they had bigger problems. Without exchanging any words, they threw all the stuff in the trunk and drove away. For a short ten minute ride, it felt like hours had passed before they got to Iris' mansion. Ironically, they were driving over the speed limit and almost got pulled over twice. If it wasn't for Iris' quick driving reflexes they probably would have.

When they got there, they immediately ran to the living room to discuss what they would do. Tim had already conjured up a plan on how to get Flash. Apparently he had managed to get a tracking device on him that wouldn't burn out or fall while he was running. While everybody talked on how it would all go out, Bruce remained quiet. He couldn't get the image of President Thorul out of his head. To him, he seemed vaguely familiar. The way he spoke, acted, and lied above all. He knew that the people bought his lies and that only certain individuals like himself could call his bluffs. But this man was no moron. He obviously knew how to phrase his sentences without giving out too much information but still with enough concern that it caught the attention of the country. Yet, Bruce couldn't help but seem to know this man. He came to the conclusion that he must have met him in his past life before the annihilation. Only that could have left such an impression, that it passed on between lives.

"So does everybody know what to do?" Tim asked doing some last minute checkups on his equipment. Everybody said yes, even Bruce who barely caught anything.

Later that Night

Wally finally stopped running. He had been running around town the whole day stealing scraps just to get by and he was finally tired. Hiding in an abandoned shack in the forest outside of town, he wrapped himself in a blanket that he found in a garbage can. It was fairly cold outside even though it was technically summer but in Keystone City the temperature never really rose high enough to be considered summer. It was either moderate or chilly in the summer. No one complained though, it was perfect most of the time but today it was just a little too cold. Wally couldn't help but feel uneasy. It reminded him of all those years he spent in the orphanage.

It was always cold days then. No matter how warm the weather got, Wally couldn't help but feel the lack of heat. As a smaller child he felt alone. Then when he was around seven, he was sent to several foster homes. They all proved to be worse. The people didn't really care about him. All they wanted was the money that came with raising a foster child. For a while, Wally thought it wouldn't get any worse. In fact, he thought it would eventually get better. The day finally came when he got officially adopted. He had yet to meet the people but he was so excited that somebody wanted him to be theirs. His hopes rose beyond the skyline so imagine his surprise when they proved to be even worse. Everything crumbled at his feet. These people were monsters. They beat him daily for no reason, broke all his hopes and his spirit, but the worse thing they did to him was they starved him. At that point, though, food wasn't as big as a necessity as it was at the moment. He hadn't come into his powers yet but he loved eating. It was the worst thing they could have done to him. Food was the only thing on his mind since his parents died. It was the only thing worth living for, the only thing that kept him living. Every night, he would cry himself to sleep in the closet they gave him as a room. He prayed to whatever God was out there that one day he'd escape that life.

His prayer was answered. One day on his way back from school, he was slowly walking back to his house. He didn't call it a home because it wasn't really. It was winter and raining heavily. The only thing he had to cover himself was a thin jacket and it didn't even have a hood. He stopped walking when he was just a few blocks away from his adopted parents' house. It was late. They expected him to be home in exactly ten minutes and he was seven overdue. Beatings were coming, he knew. He didn't want to go. He thought of running away, but they would eventually catch him. Just thinking about what they were going to do to him made him cry. He stood there crying for what seemed an eternity. After countless tears, he decided nothing could be worse than going back to them. He turned around and started running in the opposite direction. He ran faster than he ever did before. It felt like as if somehow all his problems were being left behind in the dust. Then just when he thought that maybe he should go back something happened. He heard a loud noise, a crack, and then a flash of bright light. Then all he could remember was blacking in and out of conscious.

One minute he was on the ground with the rain pounding on him. Another, he was surrounded by doctors. The next thing he knew, he woke up in a room surrounded by dead people. He was naked and had a tag on his foot. It marked the exact time of his death. At the foot of the bed he was on, lied a clipboard. Even though his reading skills weren't exactly the best, Wally knew that something important must be written on it so he tried his best. Apparently, he had gotten struck by lightning and died when the doctors tried to keep him alive. But how was it that they marked him off as dead when clearly he was alive. He didn't think about it much. His attention span was that of a five year old. Instead, he saw the opportunity he was being given. Everybody thought he was dead. If he wanted, he could just leave and nobody would care because he was after all just an orphan or adopted child. They would just think some psycho stole his body for a twisted personal game. It was a brilliant plan and Wally wasn't going to let it pass. He immediately started running and surprisingly at an incredible speed. Since that day, Wally had approximately been living on the streets for just over a year now.

Feeling tired, Wally put his thoughts aside and decided to drift off to sleep. He closed his eyes and started breathing slower.

Same Time—Just Outside the Shack 

Diana, Bruce, and Clark snuck to the abandoned, rundown shack from the back. The plan was simple. Tim would go in through the front and when their target tried to go out through the back, they would capture him. Simple as that. They however were not prepared to learn the whereabouts of his home. He lived in the forest in a crummy old pile of rotting logs. They wondered how else he would surprise them.

Tim quietly and quickly snuck up to the shack. He wouldn't go in through the door seeing as how it would probably creak and blow his cover. If lucky, he would be able to detain the boy before he noticed his presence. Looking for a better entrance, he spotted a broken window. That would do it. With precise movements, he swiftly and noiselessly jumped through it. He landed softly not making a noise. In the corner, he saw a bundle of blankets. He could see them slowly rising indicating that someone was deeply sleeping in them. This would be easier than he originally thought. Without making a noise or even taking a breath he crept up to the bundle of blankets. The only thing visible was a patch of red hair sticking out from the top. Swiftly, Tim pulled off all the blankets which only turned out to be a single large one. He gasped, waking up the boy.

Before the boy fully realized what was happening, Tim quickly looked him over. He was wearing a red hoodie, faded blue jeans, and a pair of old converse. From the looks of it, the boy was no older than twelve. Just as Tim was about to grab him, the boy's eyes quickly widened and he started running.

"Wait!" Tim yelled.

The boy ignored his call. He ran to the front door, but found it to be locked. Desperately, the boy turned his head rapidly looking for another exit. He spotted the back door but the man was standing in the way. Obviously, Wally thought, this guy thinks he's not going anywhere. Running fast, Wally slid on the ground between the man's legs just barely dodging the oncoming hands. He felt relieved for a second but almost immediately, a powerful set of arms wrapped around him and picked him up.

Wally panicked, shouting out things so fast that they sounded like pure gibberish.

"Calm down kid," Clark spoke, but Wally didn't seem to be listening. He tightened his grip on him to try to force him to stop.

Wally feeling the added pressure did what he did would do in this situation. He vibrated. He moved so much in Clark's arms that eventually it started to produce heat due to the friction.

Clark yelled dropping Wally to the ground. He saw Wally picked up running again. "Diana get him!" She stepped out from behind the tree she was and jumped for him. Wally quickly sidestepped ruining her efforts.

Diana however expected this. As soon as he turned around to run, she pulled out a rope and threw it around his two feet. She pulled him towards her, but he struggled with all his strength.

"Let go!" Wally yelled.

"We're just trying to help," Diana struggled with the boy trying to claw his way away. "Bruce!" she yelled.

Bruce came running from where he had been hiding. He was supposed to be the last resort if the others failed. If the boy had gotten passed them, he was supposed to be farther off in the forest waiting for the boy to make him go unconscious with knockout gas. Hearing Diana, he ran back to them. He saw her struggling with boy and Clark being cooled down by Tim. Quickly he pulled out the little explosive and set it in front of the boy's face. Instantly, it exploded and the boy went into a state of unconsciousness.

Diana let out a breath and wiped the sweat off of her forehead. "Finally," she said. She took a closer look at the redheaded kid and said, "He's just a child."

"Looks like it," Tim said, applying some cream to the friction burns on Clark's arms.

"He's pretty strong though," Clark said staring at his burns.

"No," Bruce corrected. "He's impulsive. Not strong. The damage made was from his speed not any sort of physical strength."

"Whatever," Diana said for Clark. "At least he's fast but," she looked thoughtful before continuing, "how old do you thing he is?"

"I'd say around twelve," Tim answered. "Now come on let's go. Iris is expecting us and the kid. Although I think she assumed he would be older." He signaled for Clark to pick him up but Clark refused.

"Nah uh," he said, "look at what he did to me."

Diana rolled her eyes and decided she would pick him up. Strange, she thought, he wasn't that heavy but in comparison, he was half of their height.

**A/N Well there you have it, Wally's introduction. I know I sort of put it in the end but the stuff I put before really needed to be cleared out. Ok so his history is pretty sad but that's what I am giving all the characters. You can, I guess, also classify this story as angst but not really. Now from here on out, I will be getting more into the past little by little. It will be subtle but trust me when the story is near its end you will eventually not be surprised (or not) by who I chose to be the real person behind the mask of President Thorul. The next league members will not be introduced in the next chapter but they will be soon after. As for updates, they will be a little more spaced out because of the details of introducing the other three members. You know two of them are aliens and the other has a ring from outer space. So review and I hope you guys enjoyed it.**


	10. A Child on the Team

**Chapter 10 (A Child on the Team)**

**A/N Ok so no new heroes yet but this chapter will cover the growing relationship between Wally whose last name we shall learn and the rest of the team. There might be a battle scene, there might not. It all depends on how long the chapter is, which I hope to be long. Now I will also cover more on Shadow and President Thorul. Interesting things will happen between those two. So read and enjoy. Oh and Vanessa write a damn review. (For anybody who is wondering who Vanessa is, she's my friend. And the only one of my friends who I told to read this story.)**

Wally woke up in a daze. It took him a while to concentrate, but when his vision finally cleared up, he couldn't help but be surprised. Everything was a blur. He couldn't remember what had happened to him, let alone know where he was now. Well where it was, it had class. He was lying down on what he could only call the softest bed in the world. And to him, it was also the biggest. Looking at the sheets, he noticed his bare legs. He wasn't wearing his normal clothes. Instead, he was in pajama shorts and a plain white t-shirt. That made him wonder, who the hell dressed him. Taking a closer look, he checked his underwear. It was changed too. He almost fainted. He hoped that whoever changed him had the decency to look away. And that the certain person was male. He couldn't bear the thought of a woman seeing his package. He had just hit puberty and was not yet ready to be judged by a person of the opposite sex.

Taking another look around, Wally noticed that there were bags in one corner of the room. Quietly, he got out of bed and walked over to them. He peeked inside and saw that they were filled with clothes. Out of curiosity, he tried some on. It fit him perfectly, but out of fear, he placed it all back in the bags they came from. He didn't know where he was and really didn't want to get into any trouble. He had never been caught before but somehow someone managed to catch him. It was too scary for his young imaginative mind. He decided that it was best if he left while the chance was still present. Without using his speed, he crept up to the door. Just as he was about to turn the doorknob, the door flew open.

Wally let out a squeak and jumped back onto the bed. He hid under all the covers and leaving just a small opening for his eyes to look out. Coming towards him were four people who seemed vaguely familiar. Two teenage boys, a teenage girl, and a young man stood in front of him.

"Aw, he's scared," Diana said softly.

"Well given what he's been through it's to be expected," Tim cleared. He walked closer to the bundle of covers and extended his hand. Wally couldn't help but bury himself deeper into the bed. "Come on out," Tim said, "We're not going to hurt you."

Wally gulped and then quickly jumped out of the bed. He ran as quick as he could with an empty stomach towards the door. Just when he thought he saw freedom, a foot tripped him and an arm caught him. The person responsible kept a tight grip on him that retained him from moving. He looked up into the eyes of his captor. They were a deep sea blue and overall scary. This guy looked like he wanted to kill him. His face seemed stoic but at the same time hiding something.

"Let go! Let go!" Wally yelled trying to struggle.

"No," Bruce said plainly.

"Wally calm down," Tim said approaching him. Using his name seemed to shut him up for a minute.

Before Tim could add to his statement, Wally blurted out, "How do you know my name? And who changed me?"

Tim couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the last part. "I did don't worry I didn't look. And that's what we're trying to explain."

At that next moment, Iris walked in. "Who's hungry?" she asked. All eyes turned to her. "Oh you're up. Iris West," she said holding her hand up to Wally. He didn't grab it. "Well are you hungry Wally?" she asked.

He didn't know what to say so he just nodded his head vigorously. Deciding it was better if he ate before escaping, he followed them downstairs. He noticed that the same guy who had grabbed him was keeping a close eye on him. It made him feel very self-conscious given that he was still only in the pajamas. "Why are you looking at me?" he asked. Bruce didn't answer but just turned his gaze away from him.

They walked into the dining room at which Wally couldn't help but fall head over heels. The whole table was filled with some of the most delicious and best smelling foods he had ever come into contact with. He couldn't lose control though, so he took a seat next to the elderly woman who had offered him food. For a second, he caught himself staring at her. Now that he remembered, he recalled what had happened to him. The other four had caught him in his shack but not this woman. Yet, somehow he felt like he had already seen her before. She looked a lot like him, he thought. They had the same red hair, emerald green eyes, fair complexion, and freckles. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he'd say they were related.

"Go ahead," she gestured, "eat." She paused. "I know you're a big eater and this was all made specifically because of you." That was all the permission Wally needed. He immediately started gorging himself. Well to him it wasn't overeating since he did have the fastest metabolism in the world and required a lot of food. He noticed everyone was looking at him and that he was the only one eating. He stopped his chewing and said, "Aren't you guys going to eat?"

"We already ate," Clark said. "It's pretty late." Wally glanced up at the clock hanging at a near wall and saw that it was already one in the afternoon. He wondered just how long he was really out. He wasn't good at math and frankly didn't know what time it was when they took him. "Oh," he said.

"Where are your guys' manners," Iris punished. "Have you even introduced yourselves?" It wasn't a question, she knew they hadn't. Before she could continue, Diana broke in.

"Hi," she said, "I'm Diana; this is Clark, Bruce, and Tim." She smiled ever so kindly that it seemed to take away from the tension in the room.

"I'm Wally," Wally said in a voice that matched WALL-E from the kid's film.

"We know," Diana chuckled. "Now you probably have a lot of ques-"

"You're pretty," Wally burst out. He was staring at Diana and she almost blushed, almost but not quite.

"Thank you," Diana said, suddenly brushing her hair with her hands. "You're very handsome yourself."

"Really?" Wally asked excitedly.

"Of course," Iris spoke.

Bruce mentally rolled his eyes. He couldn't stand when people became so gooey around him. Clark just smiled and Tim let out a small chuckle.

"Alright," Bruce ended all the fun, "Wally we have some questions for you."

"Shouldn't I be asking the questions?" Wally asked tilting his head like a confused puppy.

"No," Bruce blatantly answered.

"But why?" Wally pouted.

"Because I said so," Bruce was so quick to justify himself in a way that really didn't do justice. He gave Wally a scowl that made him shut up and close himself a little. Tim looked at Bruce's menacing ways and gave him a thump to the back of the head.

"Can't you see you're scaring him," Tim said in a tone of voice that matched Batman's. Wally laughed a little at Bruce's punishment and then quickly calmed down.

Bruce couldn't and wouldn't stand being handled. Not even if it was from Tim, the man he most related to. He stood up and walked away, all eyes following him to the staircase. From there, they could no longer see him. Diana one minute was sitting in her chair across from Wally and the next she found herself up and following Bruce's trail.

Iris watched Diana leave before turning her attention to her reincarnated nephew who still had no idea of the bond they had. That she would have to tell him, but first they needed to know about his life so far and what he could do with his powers. Obviously, he was quite the trouble maker, just like his old self. "So Wally," Iris cleared her throat, "as Bruce had said we have some questions for you and to make this easier after we question you, you get to question us. Agreed?" She said with a dazzling smile. Wally just eagerly nodded his head. He didn't really want to be interrogated but if it meant getting to know their secrets too then he had no problem so long as they played it fair. Any sign of trouble and he would just high tail it out of there.

Cadmus Now Known as Area 51—Same Time—Author's Note on bottom explains the change of name

Shadow never thought she would return to this place but then again it really wasn't the same place she'd been locked up in. They had relocated some time ago and changed the name. She of course knew why. Cadmus was a name relevant to the past and further important to the Justice League. So it was only natural that they used this place in the comic books and changed its name in the real world. The things the government did to keep their secrets. Really, Shadow found it funny that the people let it get this far. She was aware of everything that had happened. Naturally, she had been taught all of this by the woman who took care of her. The same woman whose name she still did not know.

Back to the subject, though, Shadow found it bizarre maybe even stupid of the people to just pretend nothing had ever happened. The newer generations were not aware that what lied in front of them as comic books were really the world's true history. And even now, the people could still not see the truth lied before their very eyes. Only the oldest of the generations knew the truth but they did a very good job at hiding it. And one day very soon, they would all be gone. Age takes its toll on everybody, well everybody except Shadow. She discovered a while ago that she stopped aging. Even though she isn't old at the present, she knew that she wouldn't get any older at least physically. She wasn't completely sure about the inside. She guessed only time would tell.

When all the old generation are gone, she thought, Thorul would finally have all his problems solved. No more worrying about some random person spilling the beans on everything. She wondered if she could use that to her advantage. Threaten him with speaking the truth to get whatever she wanted. He probably wouldn't budge and would instead try to kill her. He might succeed but Shadow wasn't the easiest to kill. In her domain, she was the predator and everyone else the prey. That still remained unchanged and she sought to keep it that way. Only recently, however, did Shadow figure something out about Thorul. He too wasn't aging. She hadn't necessarily confirmed this but she had already known him for some time. And every time she looked at him, he didn't seem to age a day. He still looked the same age he did when he got elected president a year back.

The other president had just finished his two terms and then mysteriously died. She wondered if Thorul had anything to do with this. But when she thought clearer, she knew that he didn't have anything against this other man. If anything they were the same. They both basically had the same ideas and way of living. Besides that, the president had finished his terms and had no way of coming back into office so there was no point for her assuming that Thorul had ordered him to be killed. He probably would have called her anyways so there was no connection or was there? Now that she remembered, the president before that one had disappeared shortly after finishing his terms and so did the one before him and before him. Putting the pieces together, she came to the conclusion that all the presidents in the last forty years had either died or disappeared after finishing their terms. She wondered if the same thing would happen to Thorul. Hopefully, she thought, he's a real pain in the ass. The world could go on without him and probably be even better.

Shadow turned a corner and walked down an empty hallway. The walls were made out of glass and inside were held the five prisoners. They weren't being tortured, not even a little and had no marks of any previous harm. In fact, they were abnormally still. She paused and took a closer look. With her face almost pressing up against the glass, she gasped. Their faces were timorous. They had the worst look imaginable. Their mouths were open as if they were screaming, but no noise emerged. Although, this might not be true since the rooms were sound proof and Shadow was standing outside. Down their cheeks were dried tear paths. It looked like as if they were still trying to cry but couldn't produce anymore tears. And their eyes, God their eyes, were bloodshot and their pupils more dilated than she thought possible. Their expressions looked like something you would only see actors doing in a horror movie.

Not being able to take it anymore, Shadow looked away and continued on her way. President Thorul was waiting for her. It must be important if he took her away from finding his precious children. She turned a few more corners and then entered the room she was sure he was waiting for her in. "You called?" was the first thing out of her mouth. He ignored her like it was typical of men to do whenever they saw a pretty body especially one cover in black leather from head to toe. Noticing his perverted eyes, she gently tapped the whip hanging off of her utility belt with her index finger. That caught his attention.

"Shadow I need you to add two people to your list of targets," he said still fighting his glance off of her. The woman was enchanting. As twisted as she was, she was just equally as beautiful.

"It's going to cost you," she said sitting down and rubbing her fingers together. A common gesture used when it came to money, but she wasn't interested in money. Now she could ask him what the name of her parents were and the name of the woman who _raised_ her.

"I know," he clarified finally taking his eyes of her body and pointing them straight at hers. He leaned a bit forward with his arms folded on the desk. "Just add it to what you were originally going to charge," he whispered lustfully. He leaned in to kiss her but she stopped him with a hand to his mouth. He didn't appreciate this gesture and was obviously not used to being denied. He was a very handsome man but Shadow wasn't interested.

"Who are these two extras?" she asked backing up a little. No way was she kissing him again unless it suited her.

President Thorul rolled his chair back and pulled open a drawer on his desk. He took out two files and handed them to Shadow. Instantly, she opened them and looked them over. She read the names out loud. "Timothy Jackson Drake-Grayson (A/N Remember he was adopted by Dick not Bruce in my story) and Selina Kyle Wayne." Both of these names rang a bell to her, especially the latter. The former just seemed like someone who she might have heard of before.

"Yes Tim Drake and Selina Kyle," Thorul spoke. "You are to bring these two to me. Do not harm them fatally. You may kill the children if you wish. They are not really important to me and just need to disappear as quickly as possible."

"Why the special treatment?" with a swoosh Shadow closed the files in her hands.

That seemed to have sparked anger in him. "That is none of your concern," he said surprisingly calmly. From the look he had gotten, Shadow thought that he was going to kill her right on the spot.

"One final question," Shadow stated. He nodded in approval. "What's wrong with the prisoners? They look scared out of their minds."

Thorul started laughing like as if she had just told him the funniest joke in the world. "Oh dear Shadow, I would ask why the concern but you'd probably lie and get defendant." Shadow looked appalled. Her posture showed it. Never had she been so insulted by such a meager comment. "But if you must know, they refused to talk to I had to take drastic measures."

"Which means?"

"Which _means, _I used a special toxin on them. It's something called scarecrow venom. Heard of it? Probably have in the comics. It turns their own minds on them making them see their worst nightmares, thoughts, and fears. When in affect, the venom during a short period of time makes them prone to questioning. In a way, it makes them answer with the truth. Now they turned out to be harder willed than I had imagined so the only thing I was able to get out of them were those two names but that's something. These two people are very dangerous." I thought I had gotten rid of this problem years ago, Thorul didn't say, but somehow they evaded me.

Not really satisfied with her answer Shadow said, "Fine." Almost just as casually, she got up and walked out of the room, her heels making a loud noise every time she stepped. Central City here I come, she told herself. The sooner this was over, the better.

Same Time—Back at Iris' House

"Okay Wally last question," Iris said. They had spent the whole better part of the afternoon pestering the boy with questions. He didn't even have the chance to ask any himself and frankly he didn't feel like doing it anymore. He was tired and it wasn't even late, it was just the afternoon.

They had asked him everything and did not like some, actually most of the things they had heard. The boy had been through so much. Just discussing his life had made him cry several times. Of course, Tim and Iris calmed him down every time but he would just start crying again. Clark didn't do much of the questioning. In fact, he felt like he was intruding. He wanted to leave the room but with Bruce and Diana not there, someone had to explain it to them later and he doubted that neither Tim nor Iris wanted to retell Wally's sad story. So he stood put and listened not missing a single detail. Truthfully, he could have gone without hearing some of it but his hearing being as super as it was did not allow him to. He could literally hear the mice crawling down the block. He wondered if Diana could too. He knew that she also got enhanced senses but from previous experiences he wasn't sure if hers was as good as his.

"Ok," Wally said rubbing his eyes from exhaustion. He wasn't used to sitting down for long periods of time. They drained him faster of his energy than when he was up and running about. Literally, it was a miracle that they had gotten him to be still. It was mostly because he was afraid of being punished if he disobeyed. Past refusal at the orphanage and with his adopted parents proved to be life threatening. He couldn't risk it with these people. He felt like he could trust them but at the same time he was still very scared of being hit and abused again.

Iris let out a yawn. She had grown tired herself. "What's your full name sweetie?"

"Umm…" Wally wasn't sure if he should answer or not. He knew that if they knew they could pretty much track him down at times and he still didn't know much about them. But his young mind kept him from holding back. "My full name?" he asked like as if he didn't hear the question right. Tim nodded. "I…it's…Wallace Rudolph Bolt." He almost whispered the end but it was audible to Clark.

"Bolt," Clark repeated as if testing how it sounded coming from his mouth. Wally was a little shocked that he heard but just nodded.

"Well Mr. Bolt," Tim clapped his hand together. "I think it's time for you to ask your questions." Wally all of the sudden seemed to have regained all his lost energy. He looked like a happy puppy going to the park for the first time. In his head, Wally had a million questions running circles. He knew he had to choose them wisely since there wasn't enough time in the world to ask them all.

Same Time—Outside of Bruce's Room

Diana had been standing outside of Bruce's bedroom for some time now. She wanted to knock or better yet barge in but she couldn't. So she had just been thinking of what to say. Bruce didn't know that she had followed him upstairs or at least that's what she thought but if he did and was just sitting in his room…oh she could feel her temperature rising just thinking about it. She listened for a second and could hear that it was finally Wally's turn to ask questions. It took them long enough, she thought. The boy must have been exhausted but he obviously didn't show it in his voice. Diana sighed and decided that she would just go in and see what Bruce was up to.

Carefully, she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Took you long enough," Bruce spoke, "I thought you were going to stand there all day." So he did know and just stayed put. Diana could feel her neck turning crimson but forced it away. She wasn't going to be humiliated in front of Bruce, not again.

"I see you're in a good mood," Diana snorted.

Bruce remained quiet. It almost seemed like as if he didn't hear her but she knew he had. It was just one of his many annoying gifts that attracted her to him.

"What do you want?" Bruce finally broke the silence.

"I…" Diana had no idea how to put this into words. She started unconsciously playing with her pearls. She hadn't taken them off since they got there. To her they were a sort of amulet of good luck even though since she got them all they'd given her was bad luck. "I don't know," Diana gave up. She turned to leave but just before reaching the door a strong hand wrapped itself around her arm. It turned her around.

"I highly doubt that," Bruce said stoically. "Talk," he seemed to order. He regretted it immediately. Deep in the back of his mind, he knew what Diana had come here for. His curiosity had gotten the better of him and forced him to confirm it.

"Fine," Diana said hardening her stance. "I want to know why you deny me." Even though Bruce knew that would be the question, his look said that he still took it as a surprise. "Well?" Diana crossed her arms.

"Diana this is absurd," Bruce said coldly. "You know why we cannot be together."

"No I do not," Diana said equally as cold. "Mind explaining it to me?"

Bruce let out a huge sigh. He turned around a few times and looked about ready to pull off his hair. "You ask as if the answer wasn't obvious enough. Diana you're not stupid, are you?" She looked just about ready to hit him. "Look at where we are!" he raised his voice. "Look at what we've done!"

"I know exactly where we are and what _we_ have done," Diana spoke up, trying to retain her sanity.

"Exactly," Bruce pointed out, "but you're blind to what's actually happening." He paused dramatically. Only Bruce could do that and still maintain his serious tone. "Diana this isn't a stupid little game. We're part of something bigger here…something that we might not come out of alive. This Diana, this is why we can't be together. Can't you see the danger we are in now. We can't afford to-" He was cut off by Diana slapping him. It caught him so off guard that he almost fell to the ground. He didn't but was close. Already he could feel his right cheek swelling and taste blood in his mouth.

Diana stood quiet for a moment before bursting out yelling, no scratch that screaming. "You're the one who's stupid! I know exactly what is happening! I know that we are in constant danger but what do you expect? I'm not going to stop living semi normally just because of that. If anything Bruce, you're the one who's blind here! You can't even see that what we have if worth fighting for." She stopped to wipe a few tears that escaped her eyes. Now slightly calmer Diana finished, "Bruce I am not going to pressure you anymore. It's not worth the effort anymore. We will of course still act normally around each other for the sake of the others but nothing more. But, now hear me clearly because I am not repeating this, when you decide that you have lost more than you thought DO NOT come crawling back to me." With that she turned around and left, leaving Bruce to the agonizing sting of her words.

Same Time—Downstairs 

Wally couldn't believe it. He had asked so many questions but none of them hurt him like this last one. He asked Iris what connection she had with the Justice League and she answered. The reply was heartbreaking. This woman was his aunt and she had left him to rot in what he could only describe as hell. Before he gave her a chance to explain herself, he broke into tears once more and ran to his room, locking the door.

Iris ran after Wally, crying herself. She hadn't thought through how much that one sentence would hurt her poor nephew. Tim tried to keep her calm but she broke out of his grip and ran upstairs. On her way to Wally's room, she saw Diana with dried tear streaks on her cheeks slam the door to her room. She could hear her crying but right now she had no time for her. She had to go talk to Wally.

"Wally!" she knocked on his door hearing his cries. "Wally let me in," she knocked harder. "Let me explain."

"No go away," Wally mumbled out of his pillow. Iris kept knocking until Tim finally took her away from the door. He let her cry into his shoulder while he walked her to her room.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly, "he'll come around Wally always does."

"I know," she said, "but it just hurts so badly." She wiped her tears and said, "I think you should go check on the others. I saw Diana crying and I'm pretty sure it was because of Bruce."

"Ok," Tim said. He left her sitting on her bed and walked out into the hallway. There he met with Clark and decided that he'd go talk to Bruce and Clark to Diana.

Bruce's Room

Tim walked into Bruce's room. Well actually he had picked open the door since Bruce refused to let him in. He walked in to an angry Bruce. The teenage boy literally tried to hit. The first thing that Tim saw was Bruce's fist heading for his face. He caught it in midair just in time, but any longer and the hit would have knocked him out. He twisted it and using his superior strength pushed Bruce on the bed. He sat down next to him and blocked a few more punches. The boy was good but Tim was older and more trained so it wasn't hard to stop him. But his ego did not blind him to Bruce's natural talent for martial arts.

"What's wrong buddy?" Tim asked.

"Nothing," Bruce answered hiding his face in his pillow. He hated being called nicknames, but that's not why he hid his face. It was still swollen from when Diana slapped him. The girl was strong and getting stronger.

"Nothing huh?" Tim asked. "Then why don't you try answering me again but this time while looking me in the eyes." Bruce seemed to flinch at his statement.

"How about you get out?" Bruce still didn't look up.

Tim rolled his eyes and then rolled Bruce over. Luckily for Bruce, he was holding the pillow to his face so when Tim rolled him around the pillow stayed covering his face. Tim tried tickling Bruce, but it turned out that he wasn't ticklish. "Take the pillow off of your face. Now!"

"No," Bruce retorted.

Tim had enough. He was tired and couldn't handle a teenager right now. He decided to do it the hard way. He grabbed the pillow and yanked it off of Bruce's face. He threw it to the other side of the room where Bruce wouldn't be able to get it so easily. Turning his face back to Bruce, he gasped mentally. Bruce's face was swollen. Making sure to sound as calm as possible Tim asked, "What happened?"

"Nothing," Bruce repeated.

Adding one plus one, Tim came to the conclusion of two. Diana and Bruce had gotten into a dispute ending with her slapping him. He knew that if Bruce didn't want to talk about it there was no force in the world that would make him. So he decided to at least help the boy release some stress. Quickly, he started pushing all the furniture to the sides of the bedroom leaving a huge space in the middle.

Catching his attention Bruce said, "What are you doing?"

"Making space, can't you see?" Tim said smiling his playboy smile. "Get up pretty boy we're going to spar."

Even though Bruce did not appreciate his new nickname, he couldn't help but feel slightly better to spar with someone of such great talent. He didn't say anything but just got off the bed and got into his fighting position in front of Tim.

Tim took off his jacket and said, "Oh, this is going to be fun."

Diana's Room

Clark watched Tim walk into Bruce's room. He had many things to say to him but Tim had volunteered himself to be the one to talk to Bruce. That left Clark to talk to Diana. He didn't really mind but he would have preferred to be the one to talk to Bruce. He needed to tell Bruce about the graduation night. He needed to tell him that he knew that Bruce loved Diana and that he needed to confess it to her.

Taking a breath, Clark pushed open Diana's door, which surprising turned out to be open, and walked in. He found her by the window crying her heart out. "Diana," he said softly, startling her. She had not noticed his entrance.

"Clark," Diana said wiping the tears from her eyes. "I uh…I uh…"

"You don't have to explain, Diana," he said. "I know already."

"You do?" Diana asked coughing a little to clear her throat. Clark nodded. "Did Bruce tell you?"

"Well," Clark started. "Yes and no. He doesn't know he told me. Let's just leave it at that."

"Ok," Diana sniffled just before breaking into tears again. Clark pulled her into a hug, embracing her tightly. She sobbed into his chest nonstop. Words were not needed at the moment. They both knew that. They both knew what had happened and what would not happen. It wasn't news that Diana and Bruce loved each other, at least not to Clark. He could not however deal with Diana being sad anymore. This would ruin everything and possibly lead to all their ends. He had to think fast but what could he do. He got it. He knew what to do. If Bruce wouldn't see what he had, then he would make him see, even if it meant straining their friendship.

This, unquestionably, could end badly. It was only a fifty-fifty chance that it would work but he needed Diana to play along without knowing it. It was a chance he had to take. When Diana's tears slowed down, he grabbed her chin and lifted her up to meet his gaze. It took her a little by surprise but she played along. His gaze was soft and everything Bruce's was not. With Clark's arms around her, Diana felt safe. This was a feeling she didn't get around Bruce given that she was stronger than him but not with Clark. He was undeniably stronger than her.

Diana met Clark's eyes and for a moment felt at peace with herself. She felt Clark lower his head a bit until their lips met. She surprisingly did not resist. She let everything pour out into the one sweet kiss. It only lasted a few seconds but to her and surely to him it was an eternity. The feeling behind it, though, could not be deciphered.

**A/N Awwwww is probably what some of you are saying. And others will be saying nooooooooooo. But rest assured this isn't going to end any time soon and by that I mean the love triangle. Who Diana ends up with I already know but will leave you guys guessing and please go ahead and give me your input on the subject. So anyways I know I didn't get to a fight but that's because I really wanted to give you guys something to read so that'll be in the next chapter after Iris has her talk with Wally. Speaking of Wally his last name Bolt comes from a man named Usain Bolt who is currently the fastest man alive. Now to give some of you some peace I am going to answer some questions from recent reviews. There will be no clones, well at least not yet. I might add it near the end. Hippolyta will be brought up in the story, so you guys will find out what happened to her. We will learn about Selina's thoughts. So I guess for now that's it. New members will be introduced soon. Now do me a favor and review.**


	11. The Aftermath

**Chapter 11 (The Aftermath)**

**A/N Ok so not too many of you were too happy with my decision of the love triangle so after thinking it through again, I decided that it would be too much to cover, let alone make the story more confusing. But I will not change or remove the previous chapter. Instead, I will see what I can do to change the aftermath of the kiss were it doesn't really make a relationship for Clark or Diana or strains it but instead helps Bruce open his eyes. In other words, there will be no romantic relationship between Clark and Diana. Now back on topic, this chapter will pick off from where the last left off and maybe include Hawkgirl and Green Lantern. Enjoy. **

Bruce's Room

Shortly after Tim and Bruce started sparring, Tim went unconscious. He was very tired, Bruce knew this. He had gotten good hits on Tim that he knew were too good to be skill or even luck. Tim was tired and finally passed out on Bruce's bed. Bruce didn't mind though. He felt a special connection with Tim that he didn't feel with anyone else, not even Clark. He still did, however, have a connection with Clark. He was his best friend and sometimes Bruce thought of Clark as his not-so-smart, stronger, older, brother. It was kind of funny since they were the same age and he would never admit thinking such thoughts.

Deciding it was best if he left Tim undisturbed Bruce left him to sleep on his bed. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was around seven pm. It was still early and Tim was obviously drained from the questioning he had to do and the small sparring match. Feeling thirsty, Bruce decided to go downstairs and get a drink of water. He quietly left the room and made his way towards the staircase. He paused at Diana's room and wondered if she was still crying. He thought he should apologize and see if things would sort themselves out from there. Gently placing a fist on the door, it slid open just a bit. Weird, Diana wasn't one to leave her door unlocked. He decided to peek before he went in.

Carefully positioning his head near the crack he looked inside. If Bruce had been holding anything, he would have dropped it. Unfortunately the only thing he had was his dignity and the little that was left seemed to have slipped from his fingers with the image of Clark kissing Diana. He never felt so betrayed. He wanted to go in and punch Clark on the nose but he knew he couldn't. Diana had said to leave her alone and that would just give her motive to get back at him. The last words she said still remained clear to him. _'Don't come crawling back to me.'_ They still stung and now seeing them kissing made him want to barf.

Bruce touched his face and felt something wet. He was confused. Was the roof leaking water? No those were tears running down his face. When did those get there? How did they get there was an even bigger question. Could he possibly actually feel something for Diana that was stronger than him? Because obviously it wasn't Clark he was getting these feelings for. He wanted to punch him so bad but couldn't since Clark wasn't aware of what he felt and had no fault in this sadistic situation. Or did he? No, Clark would never do this to him. He just had to pretend he never saw it for the good of the team they were forming.

Bruce calming himself wiped his eyes and headed downstairs. He needed to control himself and prevent from giving signs of what he saw. Nothing would change. He would still be Clark's best friend and Diana's…well…friend.

Diana's Room 

As they were kissing, both Diana and Clark heard the door open a bit. They knew who was there but neither knew the other knew. To try and teach him a lesson, they continued kissing. Clark hoped it would open Bruce's eyes so that he could see that Diana was Bruce's true love. Diana on the other hand was not so pleasant with her motives. Although, she loved Bruce more than anything in the world she was still mad at him. She kept kissing Clark, so that Bruce would know that he wasn't the only male in the world and that she could have whoever she wanted even his best friend. Anger and jealousy always seemed to bring out the worst in Diana.

They parted lips and for a second Diana forgot it had been Clark she kissed. She almost called him Bruce. Instantly, she regretted it. What if Clark expected more? She couldn't give more if this kiss was just a mistake. Terrible word really, but she could put it no other way. She looked down sheepishly and muttered, "I'm sorry Clark. This wasn't supposed to happen."

Clark's eyes widened. She wasn't going to play along but she didn't blame him either. He had to think of something quick. Ok so Bruce had seen them, maybe that was enough to provoke jealousy in him. He decided to end it there. "No I'm sorry Diana," he pushed her bangs out of her face, "I shouldn't have kissed you."

"No it's not that," Diana looked at him, "it's just I like Bruce not you." Well Clark already knew that.

He noticed he was still holding her and let her go. She backed up a little and so did he. "It's ok," Clark acted like as if it didn't matter, "I guess I just caught up in the moment." He paused to think of something. He needed to clear something up. "Diana," he grabbed her hand, "I know our incident may say otherwise but I don't like you _that_ way. I hope it doesn't change anything between us."

Diana looked relieved at Clark's statement. "Of course," she said cheerfully. "We'll always be friends. Let's just pretend this didn't happen." Clark nodded in agreement. They both knew however that it did happen and someone had seen. How he would react was still to be seen.

One Week Later

Nothing much had changed. Clark and Diana went off with their normal lives like as if nothing had happened. Bruce although he kept his distance from them still maintained his stoic friendship with them. That was not the reaction they were hoping for but Bruce was stubborn as a mule. Now he spent most of his time with Tim training and inventing gadgets. Wally had locked himself in his room and had not exited once. His meals were left by the door and when he was sure no one was around he'd run fast to get them. He was still mad at Iris who kept trying to talk to him but he didn't want to hear it. If his room didn't have a bathroom he probably would have come out the first day but his room pretty much had everything he needed to survive.

Bruce and Tim were in a spare room that Iris had lent them. They turned it into a sort of workshop. For the past week, they had been working on something to get Wally out of the room. Nothing had worked so far. The kid was really good at running away from all their traps. They couldn't drug him since it would take a lot to do so given that Wally's metabolism can burn through a normal human dosage in a matter of seconds. Almost giving up hope, Bruce decided they should take a more direct approach. For the past few hours, they had been working on a devise that would stop the runner from being able to use his feet. It was a little dangerous but anything was worth taking him out of that room.

"There," Tim said putting the last adjustment on his machine, "now I'm sure it won't kill him." Bruce looked unconvinced. "But it might still hurt him…just a little. Nothing time can't fix." Bruce smiled at the thought of seeing Wally squirming in pain. The kid really got on his nerves. Even locked behind a sealed door, Bruce could still sense his annoyingness.

"Well then shall we?" Bruce raised his hand towards the door.

"Of course," Tim smiled evilly.

Keystone City (Central City) Local News Station—Same Time

Shadow walked into the news station in civil clothing. She usually wasn't out of costume but today was sort of a special occasion. She knew President Thorul was bound to betray her sooner or later so she had to have a backup plan. A contingency plan as she liked to put it. Since she didn't exist so far as the government knew, she created a name for herself given that she never had one. The scientists at Cadmus would just call her experiment or project. How she detested them so much no one would ever know.

Angel Kane, the name Shadow gave herself, walked up to the reception desk. She was dressed in a very form fitting black dress and high heels. Black was nonetheless her favorite color. Her makeup was done as usual and her hair curled. The darkness in her appearance brought out her lustrous green eyes. The man at the desk instantly turned his attention towards her. "Hello," he said obviously not looking at her eyes. Angel was disgusted immediately but did well in hiding it. "How may I help you?"

"I'd like to speak to a reporter please," she said seductively. She knew this man was a pervert and they were easily persuaded with a little temptation. She leaned in closer to him with her the top of her breasts ending up very near the man's face. He backed off a little feeling his temperature rise and pulled his collar.

"Of course," he said, "but right now we only have the temps available if that is ok"

"Not a problem," she said backing up. "I'm not looking for anyone in particular." She walked over a chair and sat down. The man kept staring at her but she just pretended she didn't notice. In a few short minutes, a young woman who looked to be seventeen years old came up to her.

"Hello," the girl said, "I'm Loana Lange. How may I be of service?" Angel looked her over. The girl was stunning. She was average height, had good posture, very dark red hair that almost looked black, olive skin, and grey eyes. It was a striking mix. The girl had a small smile on her face that hid a dark side. This girl was obviously not one to be messed with. Surely she had an attitude all her own but was good at hiding it. If Shadow wasn't a good detective as she put it, then she probably wouldn't have noticed.

"Yes. I have a story that might interest you, if you would like to know?" She made sure to say it to where it sounded more fascinating than it actually was. Then again this girl probably never saw half the things Shadow did. This seemed to catch the girl's attention. Angel smiled, knowing she had the girl hooked with her furtiveness.

Knowing she had nothing planned for the day and the only person she had to talk to was the pervert at the front desk Loana said, "I would love to hear your story. How do you feel discussing it over coffee?"

Angel caught on with her plan to ditch the pervert. The poor girl was probably harassed every day by this man. And since she was a temp she probably couldn't afford to lose the job on something so absurd. Good thing this story would shoot the young reporter to stardom. Then she could file the lawsuits against that monster. "I wouldn't want it any other way," she said with what felt like an honest smile. She grabbed a hold of the young woman's arm and led her to her car. She had a lot to tell her.

Iris' Home—Same Time—Wally's Room

Bruce quickly kicked down Wally's door. They caught the speedster off guard. He was watching television but he reacted quickly. Bruce dropped to the floor and tripped Wally as he tried to make a break for it. He stumbled but didn't fall but that moment's hesitance was enough time for Tim to shoot Wally with his gravity gun they had been working on. He had it set to where a normal human would be sinking to the ground by now but Wally not being normal just became normal speed for the time being. The affect would ware off in an hour or so, enough time for them to discuss his issues with Iris.

Without his speed, Wally was even more of a klutz. He immediately tripped into Tim's arms. "Let me go," he said when Tim threw him over his shoulder. He started hitting Tim's back but that just earned him a hard spank to the behind. Wally stopped immediately. Fear shown across his eyes and even though Tim couldn't see them he felt Wally stiffen. That's when he noticed his mistake in hitting Wally even if it was just a little spank. This boy was traumatized by abuse and he just hit him. Idiot he thought. He mentally slapped himself. The boy probably thought he was going to get a beating soon.

"I'm sorry Wally," he said softly. The boy just stayed still not refusing anymore. He was vibrating just a little in Tim's arms and he knew that boy was scared. If it wasn't for the gravity gun, the boy would probably be vibrating through his grip right now. Bruce left to go tell Iris they got him. He saw what Tim had done and even though he disliked Wally, he knew what Tim did was wrong, but it had been done and there was nothing that could be done to change it.

Tim brought Wally towards his chest where he could see him. He wanted to look him in the eyes but Wally just looked at the ground below him. Still carrying him in front of him Tim said, "Wally look at me." He did as he was told. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me." He pulled Wally into a hug. He heard him let out a small sob but sucked it up afterwards. The boy didn't want to cry in front of him. He pulled Wally back a little. "Do you forgive me Wally?"

Wally nodded not really feeling like he had a choice. Tim knew he nodded out of fear of being hit again, so he just hugged him again assuring that he would never lay a hand on him again. Wally was not convinced so easily, but he felt like he could do nothing to prevent future punishments. Tim carried Wally in front of him and took him downstairs to the living room where Iris would be waiting.

As expected, Iris was alone and the teens were waiting for Tim to take them to the movies while Wally talked to his aunt. Tim sat Wally down in a chair in front of Iris and told him, "Please Wally promise me you'll stay and hear your aunt out." Wally visibly flinched at the mention of the word 'aunt' but he nodded silently. "We'll be back in two hours," he told Iris before heading out the front door with the teens.

The silence that came afterwards was broken by a sigh from Iris. Wally didn't want to look at her but he felt the urge to make eye contact with the woman. He looked up to see that tears were already forming in her emerald eyes. "Look Wally," she started, "I know you're mad at me, but hear me out before you say anything ok?" Wally nodded. He hadn't intended to say anything in the first place. He would hear her explanation and then decide if it was justifying or not. "Wally," Iris picked up again, "first I want to tell you that you might not like my explanation." She took a small breath. "You might not even believe it. I don't blame you if that is your decision afterwards but you must try to understand."

"Here goes," she said more to herself than Wally. "I am going to start at the very beginning with your mentor and would-have-been uncle, Barry Allen. Our lives changed due to this…

Flashback 

A/N Barry Allen's death is changed completely. Sorry I just wanted it to be different.

It was a beautiful spring day. Iris had woken up next to the one and only Flash next to her. They were set to be married in two days and she couldn't be happier. He had already proposed and everything. Shockingly, the diamond on the ring was huge. At least it was bigger than what she thought someone in his profession could afford but she got the impression that he went and dug up the stone himself. It didn't matter, she loved it and more importantly loved him.

Barry squirmed next to her. He was still tired from last night's patrol. Iris decided to go get breakfast started. Their nephew, Wally West, had just turned nineteen and was coming over later. They invited him to dinner. His parents were out of town due to problems they had been recently having and were not going to be back for a while. Iris hated how they just let their marriage fall apart and then leave poor Wally behind in the rubble. The boy had been through a lot in his recent years. He had to deal with his parent's constant fighting and bickering. It got to the point that they no longer acknowledged their son's existence. He was neglected, basically shunned from their lives.

Iris couldn't even keep thinking about that. Shaking her head, she took out all the necessary ingredients for a large breakfast. The things speedsters ate. She ended up emptying the fridge and all the cabinets. She made a mental note to go grocery shopping later. Like as if on cue, Barry walked into the kitchen in his morning robe with his blond hair sticking up in random directions. He came in scratching the back of his neck and rubbing his stomach. Iris could only stare and laugh inwardly as he made a bear yawn.

Wally arrived later that day for dinner. They ate as a true family. There being two speedsters in the house, the food quickly diminished. It was quite a sight. Wally cracked jokes constantly making all of them laugh. His humor was one of kind and his smile always shone.

The next day, Barry was called in for an emergency League mission. Apparently some of the world's most notorious villains had teamed up and were trying to take over the world. It was very typical and even though the wedding was only a day away Iris felt at ease with his momentary departure.

"Just promise me you'll come back," she said calmly.

Barry cupped her cheeks and pulled her into a kiss. As their lips parted he said, "I promise."

The battle took longer than originally planned. It was already the wedding day and it was still going on. Flash had come back to Iris for a moment. She still wasn't in her wedding dress so that was good.

"Iris," he said panting. She ran up to him and kissed him.

"Barry, are you ok?" she asked concerned. "Is the battle almost over?" He nodded, still trying to catch his breath.

"Yah honey," he said in between gasps. "Batman has a plan. It'll be over within the hour. I just came to tell you to get ready." He started to turn around but she grabbed his arm.

"Wait," she said, "don't go." Her eyes were all of the sudden filled with worry.

Barry took a moment to catch his breath while he looked at his soon to be wife. "I have to. I'm needed. Please understand."

Iris looked down and Barry held her chin up to look her in the eyes. His look said please. "I understand," she said. "You're needed. Go."

He kissed her once more and said, "Thank you. I love you." He ran out.

"I love you too!" she yelled back. "Don't be late!"

"I won't!" he yelled back.

The hour had finally come; it was time for the wedding. Iris was dressed in her designer wedding dress. Bruce Wayne had bought it for her. At first she denied it but he said to take it as his wedding gift. Since it was so beautiful and they didn't have the money to buy another, she accepted. Barry being as kind as he was had no problem with Bruce giving it to her.

From what Iris knew, the battle was still going on but was in the midst of finishing. Wally came to pick her up. Being her only other family member aside from her brother, he was giving her away. Wally had a strained ankle, so he was not involved in the mission. He was dressed in his most elegant tuxedo and arrived in a limo. Iris put on her vale and got in her ride. She gave him a concerned look.

"He'll be there," Wally reassured with a smile. "He promised." Everyone knew Barry never broke a promise.

They arrived just on time. The wedding was being held outdoors, being that it was a lovely spring day. Not a cloud in sight. The decorations were all white and red, Bart's favorite color. Wally stepped out first and then helped his aunt out. The guests were all there or so it seemed.

As soon as Iris stepped out, the entire atmosphere changed. She looked around at the people with the biggest smile she had ever displayed. Everyone looked at her awkwardly making her smile disappear. She wondered what was wrong. Taking a look around, she noticed that everyone was not there. The members of the Justice League were not present and even worse, neither was Barry. Iris almost fainted. Her air was blown out of her from the shock. Barry had to be there! He couldn't miss out on his own wedding day!

People started whispering and panic sets in on Iris. She starts hyperventilating. Wally reacts immediately. He tries to calm down his aunt. She's having none of it. Then all of the sudden the original seven members of the League appear with the exception of one. They have sorrow written all over their faces. Batman starts walking over to Iris, but she instead runs over to him grabbing him by the cowl.

"Where's Barry?!" she yells. He stays quiet. She starts banging on his chest. "Where is he?!"

He finally speaks. "Iris I'm sorry," he says trying to give her a hug. She backs away.

"Why? What do you mean?!" she asks frantically.

Wonder Woman takes a step toward her. She pulls out a red cowl from behind her. It has lightning bolts on either side. "Iris," she starts but is cut off by the woman dropping to the floor.

"NOOOOO!" she yells. "He promised! He wasn't supposed to be late!" She breaks into tears, ruining her mascara. Wally drops to her side, hugging her, and crying too. "What happened?!" she demands. The guests start to circle around them trying to learn what is going on.

Green Lantern and Superman block their passage and view. This was not meant for their eyes or ears.

Wally helps Iris up. Batman starts talking. He explains how it happened. The Secret Society was trying to take over the world. They had planned for the inevitable. With the Justice League high on their tail they had to have a backup plan. They built a bomb and implanted it in downtown Metropolis behind an overwhelmingly set of obstacles. When they took down all the villains, one of them set the bomb to explode in two minutes. It had a yield that would destroy all of Metropolis and still some. They had to act quickly. The obstacles would slow everyone down except for Flash. He had to be the one to stop it. He was the only one who could.

Running at his fastest speed, he made a run through the obstacles. It wasn't enough. The bomb went off, but the explosion was slow enough for Flash to do one last noble thing. Running at the speed of light, he circled the explosion preventing it from spreading. The recoil and radiation was too much for him. He stopped it but at the cost of his life. Slowly, he faded away leaving only fallen cowl behind.

After hearing the story, Iris fainted. She woke up in a hospital the next day, not wanting to see anyone. Two weeks later, Batman came over to visit her as Bruce Wayne. He arrived at her house. She would have pretended not to be home if she wasn't in the front yard. Wally would be over soon, so she had to deal with him fast.

"Iris," he started. "We need to talk."

"I don't want to talk to anybody especially not you," she said coldly.

"Fine then don't talk, just listen," Bruce said in his Batman voice. Changing back to his normal voice he added, "Iris I'm sorry but this is what he would have wanted."

"He's too young!" Iris shouted. "Wally can't join the League. He won't make it."

"He already made his choice," Bruce stated.

Changing the subject, Iris said, "You knew it would happen, didn't you?"

Bruce flinched physically. He hadn't expected her to go back to that day. "Yes," he confessed. "It was the most probable thing." Iris' jaw dropped. She didn't think he would actually admit it. He confessed that he knew her Barry would die and instead of making her feel better she felt even madder. Before she could say anything Bruce added, "Barry is the kind of man that I would've hoped to become if my parents hadn't been murdered." He hoped that would relieve her of some her anger. It didn't.

With the intent of hurting him Iris said, "And like your parents you let him die." Bruce flinched but his facial expression remained unfazed.

Saying all he could, Bruce walked away feeling her eyes on his back. She would never forgive him.

Years later, Iris got her life back together. She had gotten a life insurance on Barry and her money was finally coming to her. Well actually he had gotten it for her. Wally ended up joining the League and she came to accept it. Her worries were growing though. A madman had just become president and he had a deep hatred for metas. And instead of the people kicking him out of office, they supported him. No, they worshipped him like sick fawners. Already, Iris could feel something horrible was about to happen in the pit of her stomach. The feeling went away at the sight of seeing her nephew visit. His shining smile was all she had left in this world.

A few months passed. The revolution had turned into a full blown war. Heroes were disappearing left and right. Already the watchtower had been blown out of orbit and crashed into Metropolis. For the past few weeks, it wasn't even safe to go outside. Police were on the look for metas and whoever got in their way was either arrested or killed.

Iris had just gotten home from work and turned on the television in her living room. Instead of usual program, it was a live news report from Metropolis. Her friend Lois Lane was on the screen. She was shouting over the noise of explosions and clearly trying to get an important message through. Iris couldn't hear her over all the noise so she turned on the captions. It read:

**He is down! He's not breathing! His heart just stopped pumping! All attempts to resurrect him are failing! It's over! THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE IS DEAD! Flash is gone!**

Iris turned off the television. She didn't even know how to react. No tears came from her eyes. She just carefully set the remote down and went to her room. She lied in her bed until she fell asleep. Later she would learn that a monster killed him while he was trying to save to save innocent bystanders. That his life was not lost in vain. That the Justice League would not let his death go unpunished. But Iris could no longer care less about what the Justice League said or did. She had lost faith in them a long time ago. The only thing she wanted to do was fall into a deep sleep where she would be able to see Wally and Bart again. If only for just a moment.

Flashback Over—Back in the Living Room

Wally was shocked he had no idea what she had been through. He even started crying during her story. He tried his best to hide the tears but they wouldn't stop pouring out. Iris didn't notice though she was too caught up in her story and was crying herself. It was decided, Wally would forgive his aunt, but first he needed to know one thing.

"Iris," he cleared his throat. She looked at him; she hadn't the entire time.

"Yes Wally?" she asked, while sniffing.

"How come you never came looking for me?" he looked down. He couldn't bear to see her face. She stood up and walked over to him. He flinched expecting her to hit him but it didn't happen. He looked up.

"Wally sweetie," she began. "I did look for you. I just never found you. I went through countless orphanages both here and around the country. I almost gave up hope until just recently when Tim called me saying he had a lead on where you were. Think of how I felt when he told me that we were in the same city this whole time." Wally's eyes started tearing up again. "My sweet nephew was here the whole time. And I couldn't find him because monsters got to him before him." She hugged him. "Wally do you understand?" He nodded. "Do you forgive your Auntie Iris?"

"Yes," Wally mumbled breaking into tears. "But I don't want you to be my auntie." Iris' heart skipped a beat. "I want you to be my mommy." Iris smiled, hugging him even harder.

"Anything you want Wally," she said into his neck.

Outside Iris' House—Same Time

Loana Lange stood across the street from the house where Angel had told her to be at. She still couldn't believe her story. It seemed impossible that super powered beings could exist, let alone on Earth. Why she believed her, she did not know. After all, Loana had nothing to lose. She was an unpaid intern who used the word temp for practical reasons. But if what Angel told her was true, then this story would shoot her to stardom. She had already typed it all out after her interview with Angel. The lady was very descriptive and Loana didn't really care. She usually exaggerated on her stories anyways and no one said anything unless they wanted her attitude in their face.

A few minutes passed and finally something happened. Not something very interesting but it was something. A car pulled up into the driveway of the house she was spying on. From it emerged three teens around her age and a young man. They were all brunets and three of them had blue eyes. She couldn't help but find herself staring at one of them. He was one of the teens. He was the tallest and most built. His face had a boy scout smile that spoke of innocence. For someone so big, she thought, he looks so nice.

Since she was hiding behind a tree on the opposite side of the street, she was very surprised when the boy turned in her direction. She hid her face and felt herself blushing. In a matter of seconds, he was by her side, but that didn't surprise her as much as what happened next. She heard an explosion across the street and the boy quickly covered her body with his. She heard a ringing in her ear and for some reason was very confused. She felt dizzy. The boy laid her down on the floor and was saying something but she couldn't make out his words. But in the sky, she could see a helicopter approaching. It was coming in fast. The boy didn't seem to notice so she pointed to the sky. He immediately turned to see it and then back to her. He said something that sounded like 'Stay here' and then flew off. Yes flew, she couldn't believe it.

She looked up at the sky again and rolled over on her stomach to get a better view now that the helicopter was floating right above the house across the street. Out of the helicopter, jumped three men armed with weapons and a woman dressed in a black leather suit. She looked familiar but Loana couldn't remember from where. The woman dressed in black had a silver utility belt around her waist, diamond claws, and a whip. Even in her hazy state, Loana could still capture small details perfectly. She however knew that without some form of evidence, nobody else would believe her. Not even the neighbors who didn't seem to be home. Well that was a coincidence.

Loana reached into her purse and pulled out her digital camera. She set it to record and faced it towards the house. Something from the explosion had gotten to her and she blacked out.

Inside the House

As soon as the explosion hit, Wally jumped to protect his aunt. His speed was still not back and there wasn't much he could do but if he got hurt it would heal a lot faster than if she did. He had forgiven her and didn't want to lose her again. "Mommy!" he screamed, hugging her on the floor.

Iris stood up, not really surprised that they had been found. She held Wally in her arms. Turning on the fans, she cleared most of the dust in the air. The first thing she saw was Tim, Diana, Clark, and Bruce running towards them. "Shadow?" she asked. Tim nodded his head furiously.

"We have to get out of here now!" Bruce yelled.

"Already made arrangements," Tim spoke, "down the street there's a garage with a van. It has clothes, food, and everything we need to survive. Let's go."

"Hey where's Diana?" Clark asked looking for the missing girl.

Bruce slapped his forehead. "I'll get her," he volunteered. He ran upstairs for her room.

The three men and Shadow came in through the giant hole in the wall. The men held automatic guns but Shadow only had her claws and whip. Never had she held a gun and never would she. To her, only cowards used them as a resort of protection. People thought of her as bad for taking lives but never had they taken into notice how many lives a gun has taken.

Shadow saw Bruce run upstairs and assumed he went after the girl since she was not present. Signaling to her men, she said," You two up there. You're with me." The two who she singled out instantly ran for the stairs. They did not want to disappoint her. "Well," she spoke to the people in front of her, "so are you all going to come willing or do my friend and I have to force you?" No answer.

Tim whispered to Iris, "Take Wally and get out of here. Clark and I will handle her." Iris knew not to argue in a situation like this. All it took to convince her was looking at the vibrating little scared kid in her arms. She took off for the back door.

Shadow looked at her last henchman and then shifted her eyes to the back of the house. He took off after Iris and Wally. Tim threw a batarang after him but Shadow had expected this and knocked it out with her whip. That thing always came in handy and she loved using it because if taken away, only a person trained to handle one can use it against her.

Tim needed not to say so; Clark immediately took off after the man chasing Wally and Iris. He hoped that Wally would recover his speed soon.

"Finally," she said, "now we can _talk_."

Tim threw another batarang at her missing just by a hair strand. "Sorry," he said, "I'm not one to talk." He smiled.

Shadow couldn't help but smile back. Already she liked this man more than President Thorul. But a job was a job and it needed to be done. Too bad she couldn't hurt him much. She jumped for him with feline grace, claws ready to strike. She swung with precision for vital spots on his body knowing that she could patch him up afterwards. What she didn't expect, though, was that he was very good at blocking. With almost the same grace, he blocked all her moves and got a few good hits on her while she hadn't gotten one. This made her mad and happy at the same time. She finally had a challenge since the Amazon Queen. He might even provoke her to use her super strength on him.

Tim got a good hit on Shadow's face, but she quickly recovered and head-butted him. It hurt more than it should have and he wondered if she had a metal plate in her head. Then he remembered who she was and who her grandparents were.

Shadow swiped her hand to claw at Tim's face but he grabbed her hand and twisted it. She used the momentum to twist herself in the air and kick straight in the chest. It send him spiraling backwards into the couch. She had managed to knock the air out of him. Thinking she had the advantage, she leisurely made her way towards him. "Looks like somebody-"

Tim was playing possum and when Shadow was in front of him, he threw a batarang at her face. It exploded into smoke and he used the opportunity to jump up and punch her mouth. He drew blood.

Shadow fell back and spit blood onto the floor. He had tricked her. Nobody had ever been able to do that before. "Oh you are going to regret that," she said standing up.

"Well see," Tim said, trying to provoke her. He wasn't one to back out of a fight. Dick had taught him better and he strived to make him proud. Instead of waiting for Shadow to pounce, he jumped for her. He tried upper cutting her but was cut off short by her cartwheeling backwards and sending her whip towards his hand. It wrapped around it, slicing through the skin. She finally deciding to use her strength tightened the grip on the whip.

Tim was stuck. The whip was wrapped to tightly around him. He took out another batarang and threw it at Shadow. It exploded into a smokescreen and he hoped it would distract her. She didn't seem to be moving, so he took out a small dagger and tried to cut through the whip.

"It's made out of diamond," she said through the smokescreen. "You can't cut through it."

Deciding it was no use anyways, Tim threw the dagger at her while the smokescreen was still there. Shadow sensed it coming and caught it in midair just millimeters away from her unblinking eye. Wanting to end it quickly, she pulled him in through the smoke and loosened her grip on the whip. Before he could escape, she turned him around and using her claws, cut a clear line on the back of his neck. He fell to the floor instantly. The move she learned from an expert. It induced temporal paralysis immediately. But if done wrong, it could induce death also. She however did not doubt her skill.

Diana's Room 

Diana ran into her room. She was quickly followed by Bruce. He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. "What the hell are you thinking?" he yelled.

She pushed him away forcefully and jumped for her drawer. "There are things I can't leave behind."  
Bruce rolled his eyes. "Like what?" He saw he pull out her pearl necklace and the gauntlets Cassie had given her. He found himself staring at the necklace and didn't even notice the armed man come up behind him.

"Bruce!" Diana yelled pushing him out of the way of the oncoming gun fire. Instinctively, she blocked all the bullets with ease using the gauntlets.

Bruce fell to the floor next to the dresser. He thought he had knocked out both men before reaching the room. One of them must have gotten up. He watched Diana block the bullets naturally. The gunner reached for an explosive in a pouch strapped around his waist. Before he could throw it Diana, though, Bruce reached into his utility belt and threw a batarang at the man. It exploded on his hand, knocking him to the ground.

Diana blocked the rest of the bullets before running up to the man and slamming his head towards the floor, knocking him out cold. She did at double take at Bruce but said not a word. And before he could say anything, she grabbed his wrist and jumped out the window.

Outside

Iris had put Wally down. He still had not gotten his powers back and was running at normal speed. The armed man was chasing them around her backyard. They were hiding behind some shrub, but eventually the man would find them. Iris looked down at her trembling nephew. "I'm scared," he whispered and then buried his face in her shoulder.

"I know honey," she whispered back. She peeked out of the shrubs to see the man approaching. If they didn't move, he would find them but if they moved he would shoot. She looked back down to Wally. Making up her mind, she said, "Wally, sweetie, when I give the signal run towards the front gate, ok?"

"What about you?" he asked.

"Oh don't worry about me," she reassured. "Ok on the count of three." Wally nodded. "One," The man took a step closer. "Two," He looked in their direction. "Three!" Wally ran and Iris jumped out in front of the man.

Wally turned around wondering what his aunt had done. He saw her in the way of bullets but before he could do anything, Clark was in front of her. All the bullets just flattened on his chest.

Clark grabbed the shooting gun and crushed it. The gunner stood frozen in fear. Clark rolled his eyes and punched him into darkness. What a coward, he thought. Regaining his speed, Wally ran back and hugged Clark.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said.

"Ah don't worry about champ," Clark said rubbing Wally's red hair.

Diana and Bruce flew over to where they were standing. Well Diana flew carrying Bruce. "Hey you guys!" she called out. "Look at me." Bruce could not help but be annoyed at her bragging and being carried.

Iris knelt down next to Wally. "Honey run to the front yard, Clark here will fly me ok?"

"Ok," Wally agreed taking off.

Clark picked up Iris and joined Diana and Bruce in the air. They flew to the front yard and met up with Wally.

"Where's Tim?" Wally asked as soon as they landed on the ground.

"I can answer that," Shadow said emerging from the house. Behind her, two of her men came running out holding Tim in arms. They threw him into the helicopter before getting in themselves. "Does that answer your question?"

Wally backed up a little at the sight of the scary woman. She was staring at him and that did not go well with him.

Bruce looked at Shadow. She was planning something, he knew it. The way her eyes were scanning the area around gave her away. He reached for his utility belt but she was quicker. She threw an explosive at Diana and Bruce. Diana blocked it, but not before Shadow threw another across the street.

Clark followed it with his eyes. It was heading for the girl from earlier. He flew for her and got there just in time for it to explode on his back.

Now with everyone else distracted, Shadow threw a blade at Wally. It went straight at him but Iris got in the way. She fell to the floor, blood pouring out from her chest. Shadow smiled. Her plan worked perfectly. Now the kids were on their own with no more guardians.

Wally fell to the floor next to Iris and started shouting.

Bruce and Diana turned to see Iris dying on the ground. Bruce took out a smokescreen and set it off right in front of them. He and Diana ran over to Iris.

"Go," Iris mumbled. "Find the others. Go!" Her face went blank and her body loosened. Wally threw himself over her and started crying.

"We have to get out of here, while we still have cover," Bruce said pulling on Wally. The boy wouldn't let go of his aunt. He looked at Diana. She pulled Wally off of her and cradled him in her arms.

Clark flew over to them with a girl in his arms. "Let's go," he said.

Detroit, Michigan—Later that Day

John and Shayera walked into their apartment. They had graduated high school that year and moved in together. It was raining outside so it was perfect weather for Shayera. She was able to go out with a trench coat to cover her wings. It had been a while since she was able to go out without having to worry about anyone staring at her.

Their crummy apartment was located in the worst part of the city but John and Shayera could handle themselves. They weren't like other people. This was their home and they knew how to make the best of it. They had just come back from watching a movie and having a romantic dinner. They had about fifteen minutes before their guest arrived.

"Come on let's clean up a little," Shayera said staring at the messy apartment.

"Alright you get started and I'll join you in a minute," John smiled.

"Uhuh," Shayera said picking up some trash. The doorbell rang. "Go get that won't you?" It wasn't a question.

She heard John go up to the door and open it. "You're early," he said. No answer. "Shay! Amanda is here."

Good, Shayera thought. Now she was able to take off this coat. She dropped it to the floor to match the rest of the place and stretched out her long, white wings. "Coming," she said.

**A/N Ok so not much of an introduction for these two but it will have to do for now. Next chapter I will cover their background story which is changed and give credit to a friend of mine that helped me out with creating Shayera's past. Oh and sorry but I had to kill off Iris. Wally will have to heal a different way. I don't want to make it too easy for him. Now as for Loana Lange, she is a combination between Lois Lane and Lana Lang. She doesn't really exist in DC but was in an episode of Justice League Unlimited (For the Man who has Everything). Ok so hoped you enjoyed and review. **


	12. A Bird and a Ring

**Chapter 12 (A Bird and a Ring)**

**A/N I want everybody to know that Tim is not old. He is in his thirties. I know I may have contradicted myself but let's just pretend I didn't. He needs to be young it is essential to the story. As for Shadow's age, she is also fairly young. She is also in her early thirties but has stopped aging physically from the age of twenty eight. I know this character raises many questions but I want you guys to know she has something going on. She is smart and has a plan of her own. It's really more of a contingency plan but it's a plan after all. Why else bring Loana into the story? Back on topic, this chapter is going to go further into Hawkgirl's and Green Lantern's upcoming. Now fair warning their backgrounds are COMPLETELY changed. That's the cool thing about my story they're technically reincarnated so I get to change their upcoming. Credit goes to Jforever for helping me with Hawkgirl. Enjoy.**

The Next Day

The team had barely managed to get away from Shadow. Using several smokescreens and the ability to fly, they had finally made it to the van. Unfortunately, they had some extra weight to carry, a girl they still didn't the name of. Clark had carried her from the battle and forgot to drop her off. Bruce had been completely against bringing her along but Clark made a clear point that Shadow had tried to kill her meaning that she must have some importance. Wally had been awfully quiet the whole time. He only made noise when he started crying and it was always up to Diana or Clark to try and cheer him up. Bruce could only watch and hope to learn from their sympathy. Not that he would be caught trying to act upon it.

Loana had awoken late that day and made a big fuss about it. She yelled and accused them of kidnapping her. It was really a big and awkward problem. They had to try so hard to not yell at her, especially Bruce. The van was not that big and with her constantly moving and yelling they eventually had to stop. Loana of course tried running away but Clark stopped her before she got too far. They were gone for a while and when they came back she seemed more relaxed. Bruce wondered what the boy had told her to shut up. Eventually though she started talking to them like as if nothing had ever happened. She mostly talked to Diana about Clark. It was the way she talked, though, that bothered Bruce. The girl had attitude and she obviously took joy in showing it but when she was around Wally she tried to hide it. Since she was officially part of the team they pretty much told her everything and vice versa. She even took out a pen and notepad and started jotting things down.

She learned everything about them including some things that weren't exactly relevant to their mission which they didn't really know what it was. Diana of course started talking about school and boy. It was mainly gossip and girl stuff but they did learn that Loana was an intern reporter. She said she was hoping on becoming something big in the news industry, that it was her dream.

Night came quick and they had to stop. There wasn't enough space for them to sleep in the van so they stopped at the nearest motel. They had exited Keystone City a while ago and were heading east. Earlier they had rummaged through all the suitcases and in one of Tim's they found a folder filled with money and some important documents that looked fairly old. Bruce set them aside and made a mental note of looking through them later.

Deciding it would be strange if four teenagers and a child each got their own individual room, they decided to share one big room. It still only had two beds, but they were queen sized. They only took out enough stuff from the van to make it look like they were only spending a night and truly they were. They settled in and changed into their pajamas. Diana lent Loana a black silk night gown and she wore an identical white one. Bruce and Clark of course just stripped to their boxers. Any modesty they had was no longer important. They had been through a lot recently and if they wanted to be half naked then so be it. Wally on the other hand was not so eager to show off his slim body. He wore the pajamas Iris had packed for him. They were red and had a lightning bolt insignia on the front of the shirt. He was still sad over his aunt's death but so was everyone else. They just didn't show it around Wally because they needed to be the strong ones around him.

Wally had taken the habit of holding everyone's hand. No matter where he was or what he was doing, he was always holding someone's hand. It was always Diana, Loana, or Clark but never Bruce. He didn't dare grab the creepy guy's hand.

Bruce called a group meeting before they headed to bed and they gathered in the middle of the room. "I assume you all know why I called you here," he said.

"Yes your honor," Clark mocked but Bruce elbowed him in the ribs. Clark didn't feel it but Bruce sure did. Clark was getting stronger.

"Why did you call this _meeting_?" Loana demanded to know. Her tone was cold and very much like Bruce's.

"We need to discuss what we know and where we are going," Diana answered for Bruce. She didn't need to be as smart as him to know where the conversation was going. He obviously wanted to plan a rescue mission for Tim and she was sure he knew where Thorul was hiding him.

"Thank you Diana," Bruce said not very gratefully. He looked around the room before adding, "We need to go rescue Tim."

"Do you even know where he is?" Clark asked.

"Of course he does," Diana answered, "but we're not going." Bruce raised an eyebrow at the last part.

"And what gives you the authority to make that choice?" Bruce spat out. He was still mad at her for kissing Clark and showed it in his voice. He hoped though that they didn't think it was out of the ordinary and it was just same always angry Bruce.

"I don't have the authority but neither do you," she pointed her finger at him. "But what we need to do first is find the others. That is what Tim would want us to do. Not try rescuing him on a suicide mission."

"I agree with Diana," Loana spoke.

"Yah me too," Clark added. "I'm sure Tim can take care of himself."

"Fine," Bruce said angrily, "but we need to plan this out first before doing anything stupid." He looked at Wally making him huddle into a ball into Loana's side. She sent a scowl Bruce's way telling him to back off.

They went to sleep shortly after speaking. Bruce and Clark shared one bed while Diana, Loana and Wally shared the other.

One Week Later—Detroit 

Amanda Waller made a habit of visiting John and Shayera daily. She had grown worried ever since she learned who they really were. And to think that she met them by accident at a restaurant, the couple had been out on a date and their order accidentally got switched with Amanda's. One thing led to another and they ended up at the same table talking. It wasn't until they left that Amanda noticed feather's where the girl had been sitting. That drew her curiosity and she decided to keep contact with them. It wasn't until she gained their trust that Shayera showed her wings along with the whole story on how she got them.

Apparently, Shayera's parents had been scientists. They did experiments on animals trying to make hybrids. They however did not stop there. They wanted to stretch the boundaries of science but unfortunately what they had in mind was illegal. They had another child but they abandoned him to some relatives of the father. Fleeing the country to Russia, they set it upon themselves to cross human DNA with animal DNA. But about a year later, they came into the custody of a child. They called her Shayera and loved her with all their hearts. They gave her all the attention they couldn't give their first child. But not even their love was strong enough for them to experiment on their own daughter. They tried to cross her with an eagle but the experiment went terribly wrong. The machine they used ended up exploding and killed both of the parents leaving Shayera orphaned. She mourned her parent's death and didn't blame them for what they had tried to do to her. It had not succeeded anyways or so she thought. At first, nothing seemed to happen but as the months passed in the orphanage, she started feeling something growing out of her back. They felt like to small bumps but eventually got bigger and bigger until they were full sprout wings.

Shayera tried her best to hide them from all the other kids and caretakers but eventually she got caught. They kicked her out without giving a care if should would survive or not. Days passed and Shayera was starving. She had no money or a place to call home. Nothing seemed to be getting better only worse. That is until one day she came across a flyer of a traveling circus. It said they were looking for new recruits with special talents. Deciding she had nothing to lose, Shayera went to the circus. The first reaction of her wings left the people scared. But eventually the owner walked in. He saw the potential of her gift and decided to take her in. It was a huge attraction. They called her Harpy, the girl with wings.

She stayed at the circus until the day she turned sixteen. That day the circus has traveled into the United States. It was her first time there and Shayera was so excited. All she wanted to do was put on the best show of her life. They traveled through several states leaving good impressions. With the way it was going, the owner said they might come back next year. Then they stopped at Detroit. It was a day like no other. First of all, the show was not such a success. Shayera was in her yellow and black costume. She had her hawk like mask covering her face as usual. She preferred eagles but everybody said a hawk suited her more. When it came to face the audience is when the trouble started. They booed her off stage calling her a freak and demon spawn. They pelted her with soiled food and whatever else was in their reach.

Shayera ran and then flew away. She never looked back but also never left the city. It was an awful city filled with the wickedest people on the planet. Punishing herself, she decided that a wicked person like herself deserved to live in a city of the wicked. From then on she hid her wings as best she could and tried to fit into the masses around her. It wasn't hard and eventually she even registered herself at a public school. That's where she met John, the teen who changed her life forever. They hit it off immediately and started dating. Shayera wasn't sure but to her there was something different about this guy. He wasn't like all the others who only liked her for her petite body. He saw something inside her, something worth fighting for. And she saw something in him; it was a fire a drive that she absolutely loved. They spent several months together before Shayera showed him her wings. To her surprise, he wasn't surprised. He said that he had already seen them before by accident and was waiting for her to tell him. He called her his fallen angel because everyone knew that Shayera could be naughty when she wanted to, John still had the marks to prove it, and not even his dark skin could hide them.

Then it happened, one day they were out on a midnight picnic under the star shone sky. John had organized the whole thing. Under the full moon on a cliff edge leaning over the city they ate pizza. Ok so the food wasn't romantic but to Shayera it was the thought that counted. They sat on a green blanket over the dewed grass. It was a bit chilly and John covered Shayera with his leather jacket. He had told her to get all dolled up but refrained from telling her to bring a jacket. For once and probably the only time, Shayera wore a dress and let out her wings. It was form fitting and cut off at the thighs. The color was white and made her look like a saint. She absolutely glowed. John wasn't dressed that badly either. He for once wore black slacks and a light green button up shirt but he of course still had to bring his leather jacket. Shayera had rolled her eyes but didn't complain since he wrapped it around her when it got cold.

They had a very descriptive conversation on what they planned to do after graduating high school. John wanted to join the marines but decided against it after meeting Shayera. That brought a smile to her face knowing that he cared more about her than anything else. Neither of them really wanted to go to college and they weren't exactly the best of student so they decided to go where the wind led them. The only they were absolutely sure of was that when they made enough money, they were leaving this city. It wasn't the ideal place to start a new life together but until then they had to make the best of it.

Just as they were discussing making a difference in the world, something bright lighted up the sky. It was like the sun, you couldn't stare directly at it. Shayera covered her face with her wings and John the rest of her body. The light got brighter by the second and they knew it was coming towards them. At the last second, John grabbed Shayera and jumped them out of the way. Shayera landed in a shrub on her back with John on top of her. His expression was priceless, a mixture of fear and worry. They kissed passionately, only for Shayera to laugh afterwards when they stood up. Whatever it was landed nowhere near where they were sitting. It had completely missed there picnic and landed a few hundred feet further back. Shayera laughed nonstop at John's intended heroism. It was all in good fun and he knew it but he couldn't resist the urge to go see what had crashed. He told Shayera to stay and wait but she wasn't one to take demands. She followed him to the crater. It was hot near it and smoke was still seeping out, so when they got to a certain point Shayera stayed behind and let her boy settle his curiosity.

John yelled and Shayera panicked. He called out to her telling her that it wasn't a meteor. It was some sort of spacecraft and someone was inside it. Shayera started running towards John but in a very stern voice he told her to stay back. Usually she would tell him off but his voice was traced with seriousness, so she did as she was told. That however did not stop her from asking continuous questions. He answered all of them. Apparently there was some alien in it. It was red or violet, John wasn't sure due to it being dark. He however did see what it was dressed in, a green and black full body suit. From what John said, the alien hadn't survived the crash. He noticed that on one of its fingers was a green ring. As he went to grab it, the alien's eyes shot open and it grabbed John's hand. He yelled and Shayera shouted what happened. He didn't answer. The alien was speaking to him, first in what John assumed to be its native language and then in fluent English. It was telling him some crazy things, the most farfetched being that the ring had chosen him. The alien took off the ring and handed it to John telling him that when the time was right he'd know how to activate it. Before John could ask any questions, the alien stopped breathing and went still. As a sign of respect, John closed its eyes and covered it in their picnic blanket. He didn't let Shayera see it saying that it would probably just give her nightmares but he knew it was more likely to give him nightmares then her.

Amanda smiled recalling the moment when John and Shayera had told her everything. She wasn't getting any younger and getting closer to being senile given her old age but old as she might be, it didn't make her grumpy enough to not feel touched that they trusted her with all their secrets and the story of their lives. That's why she was visiting them today, to warn them of what was coming. She knew who they truly were and that they were in trouble. An assassin she raised was after them and she knew that Shadow was already aware of their location. Amanda needed to get them out of this city as quickly as possible. She had already called in a favor from a certain feline friend. They were to meet soon enough.

Same Time—Location Does Not Matter

The team had spent a week on the road. They still had not made any plans. All they knew was that they were supposed to be looking for the rest of the league members. Bruce still insisted they save Tim but the majority said no and there was no changing it. Bruce already knew where President Thorul was keeping him. It was obvious, since the man didn't kill him or so Bruce assumed, then he had to keep him close so Tim was somewhere in Washington DC. He told the team already and they agreed that after finding all the members that would be the first place they'd go to afterwards. It was probably were they had all the others too and Diana's mom and Clark's aunt and uncle. They hadn't forgotten about them but they prayed they were still alive.

Right now they were at a park due to Wally's request. Clark was playing with him on the playground to try and cheer him up. The boy was still suffering but tried his best to hide it behind a smile. He was beginning to trust everybody especially Clark and Diana. He even gave Clark a nickname. Wally started calling Clark, Kal saying that it fitted him and Clark didn't mind because honestly he liked it. The rest of the group was on a nearby table discussing where they should go from there.

"What was in those files you found?" Loana asked Bruce. She was always asking questions being a reporter and all.

Bruce thought back to the files he had read through earlier. They belonged to Tim. "It was a will from Bruce Wayne?"  
"Your past life?" Loana asked. Bruce nodded.

"They basically say that he left everything to Tim. But there's more than just the will." He added.

"How much more?" Diana asked, raising a brow. Only Bruce could put someone on the edge of their seat.

"There's a letter from Bruce to Selina and one from her to him. His basically says that he leaves everything to her contradicting the will but I can see that the will was altered…however I am not sure if it was done by Bruce himself or by Selina." He paused taking a breath. "Her letter is what changes everything. It says that she does not accept anything. She knew of his interest for Wonder Woman." Bruce refused to say Diana. "She however took Tim in after Dick died. Apparently Tim arrived at Paris and found her. The letter says that she in a way became his legal guardian and was going to give him the fortune and property when he came of age. Now the thing is that at the beginning of the letter the name is clearly signed to Bruce but at the end as she starts to wrap up her words she hints that the letter is actually made out to Dick."

"What does that mean?" Diana asked leaning over the table they were sitting at.

Bruce looked pensive for a moment before answering. "Ok so what I am assuming is that Dick Grayson adopted Tim under his name but at the time was going under the identity of Bruce Wayne."

"That doesn't make sense," Loana pointed out.

"Well when you're closed minded it doesn't," Bruce said casually. Loana sent him a glare. "But look at it this way, Dick probably took on the identity of Bruce Wayne to not raise suspicions. I'm almost absolutely sure that the president tried exposing the true identities of the heroes of the League and was assuming that when the heroes were gone and their other identities too that the people would make the connection and have complete trust in him. So I think that Dick changed his name to try and contradict the man but didn't give Tim the last name Wayne to protect him if something were to go wrong. Does that make sense?"

Loana crossed her arms and didn't answer. "It makes enough," Diana answered, "was there anything else in those files."

Bruce's face went to a level of new seriousness. "Yes there was one other thing. A paper saying what killed the original seven members. It what the adults wouldn't tell us."

"What is it?" Loana came out of her silence.

"It's a monster," Bruce said with a blank expression. "It was made out of the DNA of the original seven. It has all their powers but none of their weaknesses."

"That's what killed them? A monster?" Diana asked.

"Yes," Bruce answered. He then looked Diana straight in the eyes. "Diana it's the same monster we saw in our dreams."

"But it is gone, right?" Loana asked.

Bruce shifted his eyes towards her. "No it's not. In fact, the paper specifically said it disappeared but is not gone. Thorul has been hiding it all these years."

"Does it say anything else on it?" Diana asked curiously.

"No but there's a page missing," he held the page out to them, "see the words cut off here but there is nothing on the back."

"Do you think it says how to stop it?" Loana asked.

"Maybe," Bruce answered, "but we shouldn't get our hopes up."

"So what are we going to do as of right now?" Clark asked. Wally had fallen asleep and was now lying in his arms. The kid had a lot of energy but as soon as he burned it out, he crashed. Clark had been the one to play with him since he could listen to Wally and the group conversation with his super hearing.

Everyone turned to look at Bruce. "What?" he said. "Why are you all looking at me? I don't know. You guys are the ones who want to look for the others that we have no idea where they are. At least I know where Tim is."

"No you don't," Diana corrected. "You have a hunch nothing more. For all we know he's probably on the moon." Bruce sighed and Loana couldn't help but let out a small laugh. She knew there was tension between Bruce and Diana ever since she joined the group.

"Come on Boy Scout," Loana said Clark, "let's leave these two love birds alone." She pulled him onto his feet and they took a walk around the park.

Diana watched Clark carrying Wally, and Loana leave the table wishing they hadn't left her alone with Bruce. He was staring at her strangely, almost like as if he was trying to burn holes into her. The intensity of his gaze almost did. "What?" Diana stammered.

"Nothing," Bruce answered looking away. He didn't want to talk to her alone but couldn't leave without giving away that something was wrong. He only hoped that she would get up first so that he'd be the victim in a way.

"Look Bruce," Diana flipped her hair out of her face, "we need you to find them. You're the only one who can." He looked up at her.

"What makes you so sure?" he asked.

"You're Bruce," she said like as if it answered all the questions in the world and in a way it did.

"I'm sorry Diana," Bruce looked down again, "but I don't know where they are."

"But I do," a voice said.

President's Office—Washington DC—Same Time 

Shadow made her way into Thorul's office. He once again called her in. She was starting to think that this man didn't really care if she killed the children anymore. She had already brought him Tim Drake-Grayson last week and was probably going to assign her a new target. She didn't understand why this man was keeping all his prisoners alive, if it was her she probably would have killed them already but he just kept giving them his modified version of scarecrow venom trying to get the truth out of them.

"Shadow," Thorul spoke, "how good of you to make it I have—"

"—another person for me to capture," she finished for him.

"How'd you guess?" he asked.

She shrugged. "What else do you call me for?" He smiled and leaned in towards her. She backed up knowing where he was going with this.

"Sometimes it can be a personal call," he said seductively. He leaned in to kiss her but she pushed his pushed his face away a little too hard. It caused his lip to bleed.

"I'm not in the mood," she said coldly. "Just tell me what you want so I can go fetch it."

"Fine," he wiped his lip. "Today a prisoner escaped." Shadow's faced lined with anger. It had better not been Tim. She wasn't looking forward to fighting him again.

"Which one?" she asked squinting her eyes.

"Helena Spencer," Thorul answered nonchalantly, "Diana's mother."

"How?" was the only thing Shadow could say.

"For pure pleasure, I had the guards give her and Clark's relatives a dosage of the venom. The couple reacted as one normally would: screaming and crying. Helena, on the other hand, did not." He turned around to look at the view from his window. "She went completely still. It almost looked like as if she had died. Then she moved. With great speed and strength she took out all the guards and escaped. I have search parties looking for her now but they have not found one lead on where she might have gone."

"So you've made her a fugitive of the law," it wasn't a question. "Then why do you need me to find her?"

"From the video surveillance captured, she was yelling in a language I don't recognize and from what I know about the ambassador of Wales she didn't speak anything besides English, Spanish, and French and I know all three of those languages. She's hiding something and I don't like secrets. Find her."

So now I'm supposed to look for seven kids, an old jewelry burglar, and now the lunatic mother of Diana, Shadow thought. She rolled her eyes and disappeared before Thorul turned around.

Detroit—Same Time 

Amanda sat in Shayera's and John's living room. They were in the kitchen bringing refreshments that weren't necessary but she didn't mind a beverage. She had told them she had some very urgent news for them, she only hoped that they would take it well. Judging by how much she knew them, Shayera would probably throw a tantrum and John would probably remain still even though he'd want to stand and scream too.

They walked in, John bringing in a platter of vegetables and Shayera the glasses of what Amanda assumed to be soda. The teens were still not old enough to drink but she assumed they did when no one including her was around. "Sorry for the wait," John said, "Shayera couldn't take her hands off the carrot." Amanda looked at the plate and did not see said vegetable. Shayera gave a smiling John a glare before kicking him when Amanda wasn't looking him. He grunted and then they both sat down smiling.

Shayera moved her red bangs out of her face and blinked her green eyes before saying, "So what was that important thing you came to tell us about?"

Amanda sighed. "There are things I have retained from telling you up until this moment. It's a lot to take in, so don't interrupt me and questions are to come last, understood?"

John nodded his head and Shayera said, "No promises." She smiled and added, "But I'll try."

Amanda looked at them both before starting. Their expressions were hard to read but knew that by the end of her story it would be obvious what they felt. It almost felt like she was a catholic going to confession for the first time. Taking in a deep breath she said, "The first thing I want to clear out is Shayera's origin." She looked at her now. "Shayera you aren't who you think you are. I looked into it. You are not the daughter of those scientists you thought were your parents. You came from the sky. They took you in and raised you as their daughter." She stopped to take a moment to study Shayera's reaction. The girl remained still. Either she was hiding her feelings or really didn't care. "Now you are an alien from a planet called Thanegar. It is a planet of winged humanoid beings. That's where you get your wings from. The experiment your _parents_ did on you only activated the dormant gene that made them but this whole time they were already inside you."

She looked at John now. "John I don't have much to say to you except that the ring you wear is the strongest weapon in the universe. It's powered by will and can produce anything you imagine. You're a green lantern, son. It is a blessing to be considered one; they are among the greatest protectors of the universe. Just do not let fear get in your way. It is the only weakness of the ring. In other words fear nothing, accept the consequences beforehand so that what comes after does not shake you. If you let it get to you then it will resolve in your demise."

Shayera cut in before Amanda could continue. "You do notice how hard this is to believe, don't you?"

Amanda gave her a death stare for being interrupted. "Yes I do. I never expected to the one to have to tell you this but I am and even if it sounds farfetched tell me why I would make this up? What do I gain from telling you this? A laugh, now that can't be right because as far as I recall I don't have a sense of humor." Shayera stayed quiet and allowed her to proceed.

"This is where it gets complicated," Amanda began. "I'm going straight to the point. You two," she pointed at them, "are two of the seven reincarnated members of the Justice League." Shayera and John couldn't help but let out a chuckle. This woman was insane. The Justice League was something only in comic books. "Laugh all you want," Amanda continued, "but this is serious." She waited until they stopped laughing before adding more. "Now to get to the main reason as to why I am here, I need to get you out of this city before Shadow finds us. We need to go find the other members of the League."

"Who is Shadow?" John asked.

Amanda stood up and turned around. "An assassin I trained." And raised, she didn't add. "She'll be coming for you two soon."

Shayera and John looked at each other having a conversation with their eyes. "So you expect us to just drop everything and blindly follow you to God knows where?" Shayera asked.

Amanda could only nod. She couldn't expect them to believe such a story even if it was true.

"Fine," the both answered.

"Fine?" Amanda asked. She had expected them to refuse and call her crazy while they pushed her out of their apartment.

"Yes," John spoke. "We may not believe your entire story but—"

"But," Shayera continued, "we've been looking for a way out of this hellhole for some time now and we are not passing this opportunity up."

"And besides," John spoke, "if you are telling the truth then we really shouldn't stick around for this Shadow to come around."

Amanda smiled; these teens trusted her even if they just denied it in a way. "Pack your bags then," she said, "we leave tonight."

Back to Unimportant Location—Same Time

A black cat with green eyes ran up to Diana and she immediately recognized it. "Isis," she squeaked. She picked her up and started petting her neck.

"I see you recognize my cat," Selina appeared. "Though she did take a liking to you so I guess…" she trailed off.

"Selina," Bruce was surprised but didn't show it in his voice. "How did you find us? Where have you been? Did you say you knew where the others are?"

"One question at a time," Selina rubbed her head. "Trust me," she looked at him, "finding you guys wasn't easy. Either you guys are good at hiding your tracks or have no absolutely no idea where you are going." Bruce looked away feeling a blush coming. She rubbed his hair and said, "Don't worry about kid. What matters is that I found you and that I know where two of the others are or at least where they are going to be." She looked around, not seeing Clark asked, "Where's the farm boy?"

"He's with Loana and Wally," Diana answered.

"Who?" Selina asked.

"Oh," Diana said remembering that she didn't know who they were. "Um Wally is the reincarnation of the Flash and Loana is someone we sort of picked up along the way." She smiled hiding her concern on what Selina would say next.

"Loana," Selina repeated feeling like the name wrung a bell. "So you guys found the speedster. By the way where are Iris and Tim?"

Both Diana and Bruce looked down. "What happened?" Selina asked with concern leaking through her voice. "Where are they?"

Bruce looked at Diana who looked like she didn't want to be the one to talk. He sighed. "Iris is dead," he said calmly. "She sacrificed her life for her nephew and Tim got captured by Shadow." Selina flinched and Bruce could have sworn that he saw the starting of tears in her eyes but she didn't cry.

Selina sat down on the table next to Bruce. "I should have expected this. Poor Iris, she never even wanted a part in this but I let her get dragged in." She let out one tear. "Tim…damn him for being so noble…well at least he managed to get you all out alive."

"He's still alive," Bruce spoke.

"I know," Selina comforted herself, "he's not easy to kill even if he gets captured. He's too stubborn to die just like you Bruce. We'll get him back."

At that moment Clark still carrying a sleeping Wally and Loana came back. "Selina," Diana started, "this is Wally and Loana."

"Nice to meet you," Selina said to Loana. She looked at Wally and her eyes seemed to go wide for a second at the sight of his young age. "Well we must be going now. I'll explain everything on the way."

**A/N Ok I hope this chapter gave you guys a good look at the past. Remember I said I was changing Green Lantern's and Hawkgirl's background. Next chapter both groups are going to meet. Oh and sorry for anybody who got confused about Tim's age, he's in his thirties. Thanks for reading and keep reviewing. **


	13. The Plan

**Chapter 13 (The Plan)**

**A/N I just want you guys to know that we are getting closer to the end. It's just going to be a few more chapters (like seven) and so you guys don't ask, the monster from the beginning of the story will probably be in the last two chapters not including the epilogue. Now to clear up the will part of last chapter, Dick took the identity of Bruce not to fool Thorul but to fool the people that he was still alive after Batman died. He didn't give Tim the surname Wayne so that Thorul wouldn't go after him but unfortunately that only worked to an extent. And Bruce did leave all his stuff to Selina but she didn't use any of it and gave it Tim by changing the will. Hope that clears things out a bit. Quick summary for the chapter is it covers the teens coming together and a short if not just mentioned appearance of the reincarnation of Martian Manhunter. So read and enjoy.**

One Week Later—Washington DC

This was dangerous. They were in the most vulnerable place in the world for them at that point. But it had to be done, they had a plan and hopefully it would succeed. Selina had explained to the teens that they would be meeting the reincarnations of the Green Lantern and Hawkgirl soon. She said a friend of hers was bringing them. Right now they were in a hotel. Selina had insisted they stay in a motel but the teens said they had spent too much time in those already and were tired of sharing beds they barely fit in. Loana ended up convincing Selina by telling her they would be hiding in plain sight due to everyone thinking that tourists always preferred the hotels.

Selina looked down the balcony from their luxury suite. It almost took a whole floor on its own and had enough rooms inside for everyone. Only one wasn't in use because Wally didn't want to be on his own and she couldn't blame him. He shared a room with Clark who didn't mind having to sleep with the little redhead curled up in his chest.

Looking down, Selina saw the teens and child at the pool. Diana, Clark, and Wally were in the pool, while Loana and Bruce were by the poolside getting a tan or so it looked. She saw Clark get out of the pool and pull Loana in. She struggled of course, but gave in. Selina smiled. Young love, she thought. She had let the kids go out to at least get one day of being _normal_ again, whatever that word meant Selina never knew because her life had been anything but. Deciding it wouldn't hurt, she headed for the pool. It would still be a few more hours until the other arrived anyways. She had talked to Amanda and she said they were close but had run into a few problems on the way, one of them being Shadow but she never got close enough to be a real threat for the moment. She only hoped that they would make it in time and safely. Big things were about to go down.

"Clark you put me down right now!" Loana demanded. She was being lifted up. Wally swam next to Diana and laughed.

"Suit yourself," Clark said dropping her into the water. She squeaked and then started splashing water on him.

"You jerk!" she yelled not too convincingly. Clark looked at her funny and noticed that when her hair was wet and in the sun it looked violet. He found himself staring at her and she caught him "What?" she said.

He turned around and said, "Nothing."

Diana rolled her eyes and swam up to the edge of the pool. "Hey sunshine," she said to Bruce. He looked up and didn't seem too happy about his new pet name. Wally had given him a lot in the past few days and Bruce still didn't know where a kid his age learned all those vile words. "Are you going to sit there and brood all day or are you going to join us?"

"I think, scratch that, I know I'll stay here," he picked up a magazine and pretended to be reading it. Selina sat down next to him in a bathing suit and he quickly glanced at her. For an old woman, he noticed, she still retained a very good looking body. "I thought you were going to wait for the others," he said to her.

"They won't be here for another few hours," she said plainly. She glanced at his magazine and added with a chuckle, "No one is going to believe you're reading that."

"What, why?" he asked. She quickly pulled it out from his hands before he got the chance to look at what he was supposedly reading.

"Because it's a playgirl magazine," she said flipping through the pages. She turned around and kept looking through the pages, pretending not to notice Bruce's sudden blush. He as always forced it down and closed his eyes finding his peace.

Diana took hold of Wally's hand and whispered something into his ear. He nodded and quickly got out of the pool. "Hey Bruce," she called out again. His eyes popped open.

"What?" he asked harshly.

"Little harsh don't you think?" Diana said lifting herself out a bit from the water revealing her more feminine gifts.

Bruce, without noticing, leaned in and stared at Diana. "Uh sorry," he found himself saying, not looking at her eyes.

Oh you will be, Diana said to herself and at that moment Wally popped out behind Bruce and pushed him into the pool.

Bruce although he didn't react quickly, still reacted and pulled Wally in with him but that didn't stop him from letting out a small squeal that caught everyone's attention. Selina covered her mouth to stop from laughing but nobody else did. Clark and Loana broke out into complete laughter. Wally upon resurfacing chuckled but then quickly swam away towards Clark.

"Sorry," Diana giggled. She felt like it was her turn to apologize. She walked up to Bruce and touched his forehead. He had fell head first. "Are you alright?" Her eyes bordered with concern but filled with joy.

"Yes," he muttered angrily. He crossed his arms and planned revenge.

Loana swam up to Bruce and rubbed his hair like a child. "Oh lighten up," she said, "even I who was technically kidnapped am having fun."

Wally swam up to Clark and tugged his arm. "Ooh, ooh, ooh," he said, "let's play…uh…tag in the water…please Kal, please oh please."

"Ok, ok," Clark said and then smiled, "but Bruce has to be it."

"Yah," Wally said, "meanie head has to be it." Bruce glared at him and then Diana thumped his head and then laughed.

Selina watched as the kids played, hoping they had fun while it lasted. Nothing ever lasted forever and she only wanted them to be happy while they still could be. Time was running out and every second counted but this moment was worth all the wasted minutes.

Whitehouse—Same Time

Joseph Thorul paced around the room. His new assassin was late. Shadow was not doing her job properly and he needed to get her back on the right path. A partner in this mission would help do just that. Besides, this was an old friend of his, a very old friend who just happened to be young. Thorul only woke this man up when he needed him, not call him but wake him up from the deep slumber he put him in all those years ago.

Thorul sighed and turned his back to the window. He heard a rush of wind and from the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of slight movement, almost like a shadow but much more vivid. "Renegade," he said without turning around, knowing that the man was already standing behind him. He could feel his deep breathing and his eyes staring at him.

"Yes Master," Renegade replied in his cold, almost dead voice. Thorul smiled knowing he would not fail again.

"I have a proposition for you," he said knowing it was not in fact a choice. "Care to hear it?" Renegade just slightly nodded his head. Completely sure of his power over the other, Thorul turned around to meet a slightly shorter but still tall man, equally as built, wearing an almost black suit except for the red bird insignia across his chest. His eyes a deep, bright, yet lifeless blue surrounded by a black mask.

"What is it that you need, master?" Renegade said in his monotone voice. It never missed a beat but kept the same tone, always. It was emotionless, blank, and cold.

"I'm going to need some extra security around here in a few days," he answered without making eye contact. "Just stick around, things are about to get fun."

Fun, Renegade thought, the word seemed familiar but yet very far away. His left eye twitched at the thought of it.

Later That Same Day—Hotel Room

The teens all just finished showering and getting dressed. Selina had been on the phone earlier and told them that the others would be here in a few minutes. It was late in the day already and they would be here just in time for them to talk over dinner. Loana and Diana were sitting in the living room part of the suite and talking about what they thought they should expect from the others. Selina had given them a box load of comic books saying that it was best if they studied their past lives. Surely something in them would come in handy. The girls had just skimmed through them and paid no attention to what they had read. Wally was lying on his stomach on the floor in front of them reading one but probably wasn't that aware that they were much more than just comic books.

Bruce was in his room with Clark really studying his books. Clark was just there to talk to him. He wasn't at all interested in what the books had to say about his past life. He was happy just how they were at the moment. And besides if anything was useful then Bruce would catch and use it to their advantage. It was as simple as that when you had a genius on the team.

"There here!" Selina yelled to everyone patting the wrinkles away on her dress. She fixed her hair before opening the door. In walked Amanda with the two young reincarnated heroes. "Hello Amanda," she said before looking at the teens. "Nice to meet you," she said to the other two.

Amanda didn't reply but nudged the other two to not be rude. "Hi," the girl said awkwardly, "you can call me Shayera."

"John," the boy said extending his hand towards Selina. She grabbed and shook it firmly.

"Selina," she said. She looked around to see where the others were. "Guys!" she yelled. "Get over here now!" They all scrambled to meet their guest except for Bruce who took his sweet time in getting there. Wally got there first, almost tripping on the way. He stumbled but caught himself on Selina's leg. He was followed by Loana and Diana who were being trailed by Clark and then finally by Bruce.

Wally glanced up at John and caught a glimpse of his green ring. "Hey cool ring," he says reaching his hand to it.

"Thanks hotshot," John saying rubbing Wally's hair with the hand he was reaching for.

"What's your name?" Shayera asked.

Wally looked up to the pretty woman and said, "Wally. I'm Wally and this Diana, Loana, Clark but you can call him Kal or Boy Scout like Loana does. Oh this is meanie head but he prefers to go by Bruce."

"Meanie head huh?" Shayera says raising a brow at Bruce. She gets the impression that him and Wally don't aren't on the best of terms but her maternal like instinct tells her it's not the kids fault.

"Alright, alright enough pleasantries," Selina says clapping her hands together. "Who's hungry?" And no one needs to answer because she can see they're all famished. They walk out of the hotel towards a black limo parked out front. Amanda is talking to Selina while everyone else gets to know the newcomers, well everyone except Bruce. He just listens and learns.

Inside the limo, the talking continues. It's not the important talk yet, that's not until they reach the restaurant. Right now they are all pretending their lives are normal again even though that will never be true again. Bruce hears Diana and especially Loana question Shayera. Apparently they want to know everything about her in a moment's notice. Clark is speaking to John and Wally is just asking random questions and taking glances at the girls. Already the young boy is discovering the joy of being a flirt and has no shame in it. Daphne would have never allowed this so Bruce does his best to straighten the boy up in the way only he can, by scaring him. It's funny though because it only takes a scowl to make the boy sit straight and stop talking. Hopefully, Bruce thinks, the boy will never get used to it or else…he doesn't even want to think.

Just a little over fifteen minutes pass before they reach the restaurant. They step out and it's not a restaurant. It's far too big for that. It's a hotel. It's huge and white, gleaming white. It doesn't draw much attention from the outside but when they step inside, the vast and expensive décor makes up for the outside view. Inside, the floor and surrounding walls are gold with magenta color patterns. Mahogany tables and plush seats border the pillars of the lobby. On each table there are crystal-vases filled with exotic flowers that sparkle in the light. Selina leads the group to the gold reception desk where an elegantly dressed man speaks to them.

"Welcome to the Willard hotel," the man says. Selina talks to him and Bruce swears he sees her hand slip something under the desk. He notices that as the man leads them through the hall to a private banquet room, Selina is placing small devices in hidden places. "Well here you are," he adds. "A waiter will come shortly to receive your orders." He walks away.

Somewhere in Northeast New York (State)—Same Time

Shadow jumped out of the helicopter. The pilot had insisted she use a parachute but she didn't need one. The wind pulled at her costume wanting to send her straight up but gravity didn't agree. At a fast pace she fell towards the ground. Most people would probably shut their eyes and wait for the inevitable to happen but Shadow wasn't and isn't so easy to kill. And this wasn't a suicide mission anyways but still a mission. The ground got closer to her feet and she remained unblinking. Although the fall wouldn't kill her, it would still injure her if she landed wrong. Injuries were something she could not have while on the job. Thorul would not allow her to keep going and she wasn't going lose her pay.

At the last possible second, she flipped herself in the air and rolled safely on the ground only leaving a small crater behind from the pressure of the gravitational impact. She got up and dusted herself off. Everything around her was rubble. A city had stood here before, precisely forty years ago. But the way everything looked made it seem like that last battle took place millennium ago. Then again it wasn't the last battle, that one was still to come and Shadow would not miss it for her life.

Around her were the ruins of buildings that stood not too long ago. Shadow walked around taking a closer look. She needed to study her terrain. To her left are the ruins of what once was the great Daily Planet. The globe that once stood atop it is nowhere to be seen. Must have gotten destroyed in the battle, she tells herself. Walking further north, she comes to what she knows never stood in the city. It looks like the ruins of a giant satellite, Watchtower she thinks it was called. The past is a mess surrounding her. She still does not know who she is or where she comes from. But she knows where she is going and Thorul does not fit into her plans. Eventually she will have to leave him. It will not be easy she knows, but she has never failed before. Shadow always gets what she wants and no man has ever been able to stop her before, especially not scum like Thorul.

She walked further into what she knew to once be downtown. It is remarkable, she thought, that the government was able to hide this place so well. After the battle, the president at that time had ordered for grown trees to be planted throughout what used to be the city. Now the place is just a forest that nobody ever takes the time to go visit. However, she knows that soon enough this place will be crowded with the paparazzi and authorities of New York City. It was only a matter of time if Thorul was right about the arrival of the last League member. Although, the authorities would be the ones to take the alien in, she was here to make sure nothing went wrong.

Looking up, Shadow saw a dim red light in the night sky. She didn't even have to narrow her eyes to see it clearly. Her eyesight was better than the average human's and to her it didn't matter if it was dark or bright outside, with her vision it all looked the same regardless. Not looking away, she saw the meteor or space craft, maybe, break into Earth's atmosphere. Only her eyesight could catch the slight blue sparks that came from touching the ozone layer. The ball of fire left a red trail of smoke behind it. The closer it got the hotter the atmosphere became. It flew just inches over her head and landed a few hundred feet away from her with a loud THUMP. It was clearly made of metal and not some sort of dirt.

Shadow slowly made her way towards the new crater. She was in no hurry given that it was probably hotter than hell. Already, Shadow saw the helicopters arriving. It was time to set up the perimeter boundaries. Pushing the smoke away from her face, Shadow swore she saw the figure of a woman nearby but after blinking it was gone. Something was not right.

Willard Hotel—Same Time 

They took their seats around the table in the large banquet room. The seats were clearly made out of some expensive wood and the cushion on it made of silk. A waiter came in shortly and took all their orders. Bruce almost rolled his eyes when Wally order a burger…four burgers, a chocolate shake, three orders of fries, and two large sodas. This was probably the most exquisite and lavish place the boy had ever been and he ordered what one would at some cheap fast food restaurant. Bruce wondered if anyone minded, since they all had the decency of ordering good food.

Nobody talked much, except for Wally who was getting to know John and Shayera. The girl, Bruce noticed, took a very protective approach on Wally. She probably was just wondering how they could drag a little kid into this mess.

After the waiter came, gave them their meals, and Selina told him to go and not come back, they started talking.

"Why are we here Selina?" Loana asked what Bruce was thinking.

"Yah I was told we were going to a restaurant not another fancy hotel," John said looking at Amanda.

Amanda cleared her throat. "We are here to discuss our plan." Everybody seemed to be satisfied with that answer.

"What was with all the little chips?" Bruce asked Selina. She smirked.

"You noticed those?" she said still smiling. "Well of course you did." She answered her own question.

"Well?" Bruce asked.

"They're tracers," she answered. She took a bite of her overly priced salad and added, "This is where President Thorul is throwing an important Masquerade Ball in a few days. We need to familiarize with the entire layout of the building especially this banquet room."

"This room is where the ball is being hosted," Amanda clarified. Well that explained why Selina had booked the biggest room in the entire hotel for just them.

"So we are going to attend this ball?" Loana asked after swallowing her bite of steak.

"No," Selina spoke. "This is where you kids are going to attend, not us." She pointed at herself and Amanda.

"Clarify," Bruce demanded.

Amanda and Selina exchanged a look. "We will not be attending for two reasons," Selina said. "One being Thorul will instantly recognize us."

"And two," Amanda continued, "We will be conducting a rescue mission while you kids get as much information on the president and his plans."

"I'm guessing this is no ordinary masquerade ball," Shayera inquired.

"Not even close," Diana answered. "This is the ball of the century. The most powerful people in the world of politics and business will be attending." Everyone turned to look at her. "What? I should know. My mother is…was the ambassador of Wales. She was invited a long time ago."

"When exactly were the invitations sent out?" Clark asked.

"Over a year ago," Diana answered. "They have to plan these things out perfectly, so that nothing goes wrong."

"Precisely," Amanda spoke, "everything must go perfect. If not Thorul will suspect something wrong."

"Well how do you expect us to get in if we weren't invited?" John asked.

Selina smiled. "Disguises," was her only answer.

Bruce processed all the information and notice one question went unanswered. "What exactly are you and Amanda going to be doing?"

"A rescue mission," Selina said taking a sip of her wine. Bruce gave her a look that said 'that's not an answer'. "Amanda and I will be breaking into the Whitehouse and rescuing Tim."

"That's suicide!" Diana almost yelled.

"Well our mission isn't so easy either sweetheart," Shayera spat.

Before a full out brawl could ensue, Amanda gently yet aggressively hit her drink with her fork. "Enough," she said sternly. "Eat, for all we know this might be our last meal." And it most certainly could be.

Wally needed not hear more, instantly he divulged himself in his burgers drawing a smile from Shayera. She rubbed his hair and started talking to John. Bruce moved next to Selina to learn how the tracer system would work. She trusted him to be the brains of the operation and keep everyone out of harm's way. Rumor had it Thorul was working on something big and they needed to what. Diana talked to Loana about Clark. She knew the girl was interested. Wally played with his food and spoke…or more or less played with a clueless Clark.

"Wait, wait, wait," Wally said cutting off everyone's individual conversations. All attention lied on him. "We're going to a party?"

Later that Same Day—Back in the Hotel Suite

The plan was ready. Everyone knew their parts. They had returned to the hotel room over an hour ago. It was late and almost everyone was already sleeping. The girls had gone to sleep already and so had Clark and Wally. Bruce was still awake. He needed to keep rehearsing the plan in his head. Absolutely nothing could go wrong. Hearing some shuffling, Bruce turned around. He caught Selina sneaking up on him.

"Couldn't sleep either?" she asked. He nodded his head. Selina looked at Bruce's blank face. She wondered if this boy would ever change. He needed to learn to enjoy life, not always take it so seriously. It would be crazy to say so given their current situation so she instead said, "Don't worry if anything goes wrong you'll all make it out."

"How do you know?" Bruce asked.

"Because…" Selina looked him in the eyes, "…because you guys are the Justice League."

Bruce feeling like there was nothing else to talk about turned on the television. The first channel that popped out was a live news broadcast straight from New York. A reporter looking like she was about to cough out her lungs stood next to a crater. Around her, were trees lots of trees and rubble? Bruce wondered where he had seen that place before. It clearly wasn't New York City but must have been close if that reporter was there. He looked over to Selina who was too watching the broadcast with keen eyes.

The reporter coughed and then said, "We are coming you live from Metro Forest near New York City. We have news of upmost urgency. A meteor has crash landed. Luckily nobody was hurt and there was only one eye witness. Come here please," the reporter said to someone not in the camera. In just a few seconds another woman appeared on screen. She was dressed casually, had green eyes, black hair, and a very well formed body. Where had Bruce seen her before? "Now," the reporter started again, "what exactly happened here?"

"Well," the lady said too innocently. "I was hiking through the woods…" A lie Bruce picked up. She was not dressed for that. "…when all of the sudden I saw a red dot in the sky. I thought it was nothing at first but then it got bigger and bigger." This woman was obviously playing dumb. "I was so scared," she said bringing her hands up to her face.

"And you had every right to be," the reporter assured. "Then what happened?"

"Well…" the woman looked up as if trying to remember. "As it got closer I froze from fear. I closed my eyes and when I opened them it had already landed there." She pointed to where everyone knew it was. Bruce was not buying her act.

"Thank you sweetie," the reporter said shooing her away and then turning to look back at the camera. "Well there you have folks a story in the making." The woman paused and pressed a finger to her ear. "Oh wait," she said. "There's more," she said excitedly. "We are just receiving word that this is no ordinary space rock. There is something…someone in there. An alien…" Selina shut off the television at that moment.

"This is bad," Bruce heard her whisper. "This changes everything. We need more time."

"What?" Bruce asked. "What's bad? What changes everything? Why do we need more time?"

Selina noticing she had said everything out loud put on a fake smile and said, "Nothing. Don't worry about it. Everything will still go as planned." And for a second Bruce believed her. She was better at acting than that reporter and the woman she interviewed.

**A/N Hmm I wonder who's in the meteor. Well I wasn't as happy as how this chapter turned out but it was necessary for the next one. Next chapter will have a lot of action and be very interesting in the conversations I promise. It's the highlight of the story really. Now give me some feedback and I'll update soon. Oh and since I am nearing the end, I need you guys to do me a favor and remind me which are the unanswered question so I can get to them. We wouldn't want to leave them unanswered. Now leave some reviews and until next time. **


	14. The Ball

**Chapter 14 (The Ball)**

**A/N I want to thank you all for reading my story and a special thanks to those who leave reviews. Don't forget to tell me what questions are left unanswered; otherwise I'll probably forget it. Now this chapter is very important to the story so pay attention plus I plan on it being interesting. No spoilers. Enjoy.**

"Wally!" Bruce yelled. "Wally get over here now!" It was the all-important day and Wally would not cooperate. Time was very limited and Selina and Amanda had already left. They needed to get to the Whitehouse early to act as tourists to get an idea of how the later break in would be. "Wally you don't have a choice we have to do this!" No answer. Now he was hiding. Bruce didn't have the time or the patience to do this. "Clark! Diana!" He yelled. They immediately came rushing in.

"What's with all the yelling?" Clark asked. "Hey you aren't dressed yet."

No shit, he didn't say. "Find Wally, Clark," Bruce ordered. "He's hiding and I still need to get dressed."

"How am I supposed to find him?" Clark asked rubbing his head.

"Use your damn x-ray vision!" Bruce barked. "And bring him to me."

"Fine," Clark gave up. He fixed his cheap tie on his cheap waiter suit that they _borrowed_ from the Willard Hotel. He and John were to sneak in with the rest of the staff that would be on duty. They already took the places of two other waiters. He wondered exactly where Bruce had left them. Nobody dared asked.

Clark didn't even need to move from where he was standing, using his x-ray vision he found Wally hidden inside a cupboard in the kitchen section of the suite. Weird that they'd put a kitchen in a hotel room, Clark thought, when everyone just ordered room service. Using his super speed, that he discovered a few days ago, he ran almost as quickly as Wally to the kitchen. He opened the cupboard and cornered Wally inside. "Come on buddy," he said. "What's Bruce going to do that's so bad?" In just a few days, Wally had learned to trust the team especially Clark, Diana, Shayera, and John in that order. Bruce was the only one who didn't make the cut. Nobody had to ask why. Bruce and children just didn't mix and they weren't even like oil and vinegar. At least those two condiments went well together, Bruce and Wally couldn't be in the same room without Bruce looking like he was going to beat the child and he probably would if no one else was around. Which is why they were never alone and God forbid they ever were.

"It's awful," Wally looked on the verge of tears. "It's awful Kal."

"What's awful Wally?" Clark grew a little concerned. What was Bruce going to do to Wally to make him want to cry? "Wally tell me what Bruce plans on doing?"

"He wants to die my hair," Wally shrieked out.

Clark let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and a small chuckle. "Oh Wally," Clark laughed, "I'm sure it's only temporarily. That's not so bad is it?"

"Yes, yes it is," Wally defended. "I have my auntie's hair and now he's going to take it away."

"Wally," Clark didn't know what to say. "You want to do your best in the mission right?" Wally nodded. "Well then we have to make some sacrifices, plus like I said it's only temporary. Ok?"

"Ok," Wally gave up and jumped to hug Clark.

Clark carried him all the way to Bruce's room where Diana was helping him get dressed. In the last few days they started to become closer. Neither of them had readmitted their love for one another but Clark knew eventually Diana would be able to break Bruce. He couldn't wait to see that day. "Hey," Clark said knocking on the open door. "Here's Wally." He put the boy down on the floor and watched him scamper off to Diana. She embraced him immediately.

"Wally you ready?" she asked.

"Yes," he said into the side of her dress. Diana was already in her long dress. It was black and clung nicely to her body. It flowed with movement and cut up on the thighs. She wore gold heels and around her neck were the all famous pearls she couldn't live without.

They walked him over to the restroom and made him sit on a stool. Clark wrapped a towel around him and Bruce laid him back to dampen his hair. Diana grabbed the bottle of black hair dye and passed it to Bruce. He put on the plastic gloves and started rubbing it in Wally's red hair. "This is temporary right?" Wally asked eyes closed.

"Yes," Bruce answered. It'll come off in a few months, he said in his mind. Outside he let a small smirk show on his face for a few seconds.

"Better be," Wally threatened in his best imitation of Bruce's cold voice and drew a laugh from both Clark and Diana. The boy had gall. After about fifteen minutes, Bruce leaned Wally's head back into the tub and washed out the dye leaving him with a shade of dark hair similar to his and Diana's.

Diana walked out of the bathroom and came back with some makeup and blue colored eye contacts. "Ok don't blink Wally, ok?" she said leaning in closer to his face.

"Ok," Wally said fidgeting a little. He had sat still for fifteen minutes and his feet were itching for movement. Diana gently held Wally's eyes open and put the contacts over them. Then carefully using the makeup she covered Wally's freckles. There could be no sign that he was a ginger. That would blow their cover.

Diana stood back after finishing her work and allowed Bruce and Clark to view him. "Wally," Clark said eyeing him up and down, "you look…look…like…Bruce!"

"What?" Wally said, not asked. He ran up to the hallway mirror and checked himself out. It was true; he did look just like Bruce. He had the same hair, eye color, and shade of skin now. Putting on his best serious face, he said, "I guess I'm a mini meanie head now, huh?"

"Well that is the point now Wally," Diana chuckled. "Now come on we have to get you dressed." She pushed him into the room with Bruce and Clark so they could change him. She still needed to add her makeup and checkup on Shayera and Loana.

Bruce walked towards the closet and pulled out a miniature tuxedo that resembled his. It was of good quality unlike Clark's and was made of black silk. The shirt a bright white and the tie black again. He handed the clothing to Clark who helped Wally into it without wrinkling the fabric. Clark tucked Wally's shirt in and then reached for the leather belt. After putting on his blazer, Wally ran for his shoes. They had been ordered specifically for him. Bruce had them custom made to look like dress shoes but with the feeling and friction of running shoes. They couldn't be too careful, who knew what would happen today and if Wally would need them. Bruce looked pensive for a moment before he walked up to a drawer. He opened it and pulled out two matching silver watches. One was for him and the other for Wally. They had to keep the appearance of being a happy family in where the son wants to be just like daddy.

That was how he, Diana, and Wally would present themselves, a family. It had been decided that because Diana and Bruce had the most experience in the higher social class they would be impersonating a family whose flight here was _unexpectedly_ delayed. The family had a small child so Wally fit perfectly into the picture. Bruce put on his watch and handed the other to Wally. "Here," he said, putting it around Wally's left wrist.

Diana walked into Loana's and Shayera's room. The girls were done with their makeup and in the process of getting dressed. "Do we really have to wear these?" Shayera asked pointing at the skimpy outfits.

"Yes," Loana answered. "It's our ticket in."

"It's degrading," Shayera sighed. She took another look at the outfit that pretty much just looked like a red bra and panties with gold sparkles all over it. It was too revealing for her but Loana was right. That was the only way they had in. "What about my wings?"

"That's the great part," Loana smiled. "You don't even have to hide them. We're going to be part of a group of exotic dancers called The Scarlet Angels. Fake wings and all but they look just like yours and since we have to arrive in costume…well there you have it."

"Girls," Diana interrupted their conversation. "Have you seen my mask?"

Loana looked around the room trying to remember where she had seen it. "Oh it fell under the bed," she said biting her lower lip.

Diana quickly fixed her makeup and went to get it. She grabbed it and set it on the bed. She turned around and grabbed her gauntlets. These would come in handy. She put them on and then covered them with long gold gloves. She took out a gold marriage ring Bruce had bought her for the mission and slipped it over the glove. She wondered if he had bought one for himself too. She grabbed her gold mask and put it on. It had small rubies shaped like stars embedded around the perimeter of her eyes. It looked like a tiara for the face. Feeling comfortable with how she looked, she grabbed her black Prada bag and headed to check on the girls again.

They were already dressed in their trampy outfits with their small barely concealing red masks on.

"We look like prostitutes," Shayera blurted out looking at herself in the mirror.

"I think that's the point," Loana said, "but looks like you caught the attention of a certain someone." She gestured her eyes at a certain reflection in the mirror.

"John!" Shayera yelled trying to cover herself up with her wings.

"You look beautiful," he said walking towards her.

"I look like a whore!" Shayera barked out hiding her body with her wings.

"A pretty whore," John said smiling, earning him a hit to the gut. "Why do you hide?" he asked. "It's not like I haven't seen you—" He was cut off by Diana walking in and clearing her throat.

"John," she said, "I don't think it's prudent of you to be in here right now. Not when your girlfriend isn't the only one in that outfit."

The three girls glared at him. "Ok," he said, "I can take a hint." He turned himself around, patted away the wrinkles in his black suit that matched Clark's, and walked out of the room.

Loana waited for him to be out of hearing range before saying, "Girls help me into this," she pointed to the fake wings.

Bruce walked over to the kitchen where he remembered leaving his and Wally's masks. He saw a blur run past him and into the kitchen.

"Here they are," Wally said fumbling with the masks. Bruce inwardly rolled his eyes.

"Yes now hand me mine," Bruce demanded, holding out his hand. Wally shrugged and threw him his. Bruce caught it in midair and put it on. It was a simple black mask that had little bat ears sticking up from the sides. Wally's mask was the same color but didn't have the ears. Instead it had a small red lightning bolt on each side. Bruce took out a small computer pad that connected to all the tracers and checked in on the ball. It would start in half an hour but the guests were already piling up at the front door.

Diana walked into the kitchen looking as gorgeous as ever. She was followed by Shayera and Loana who were wearing trench coats presumably to hide their bodies from the young boy in the room. "Ready to go?" Diana asked.

"Yes," Bruce answered. "Where are John and Clark?"

"They already left," Shayera answered. "As part of the staff they need to be there at least thirty minutes early."

"We technically don't have to be there until nine but all the dancers get there early anyways," Loana shrugged.

"Let's go then," Bruce headed for the front door.

Whitehouse—Same Time

Amanda and Selina walked with a group of tourists. They had gotten there early in the morning and stuck with the tour. Dressed in long fur coats, shades, and scarfs, they looked just like the other rich snobs who could afford being part of this group. Their tour guide, a young woman dressed in a red suit, led them through the various halls and doorways. Amanda didn't remember the Whitehouse having this many twists and turns but after the war, it had had a lot of remodeling. She turned to look at Selina who was placing tracers around every corner. If anything went wrong, they needed a safe route out.

This mission was going to be anything but easy and they both knew that. Heck, the teens knew that. The only one who didn't know was Wally who thought they were playing a game of dress up. It was better that he didn't know, it would spare him the trauma.

"Excuse me Ms." Selina said grabbing the tour guide's attention. "When do we get to see the president's office?" Saying that had the rest of the group speaking. They were probably wondering that too and just didn't have the courage to ask.

"We don't," the woman answered sincerely, hinting at a little guilt. "The president's office hasn't been part of the tour for about…forty years now." Figures, Selina thought to herself, it's always forty years.

The woman noticing Selina wasn't going to ask any more questions, turned around and continued with the tour. They came to a sharp corner and Selina grabbed Amanda's arm and pulled her in the opposite direction. "This is where we part," she whispered.

"Did you spot any good hiding places?" Amanda asked.

"Several," Selina said quietly walking away from the direction the group was heading.

"Good," Amanda spoke, "now we wait." They needed to wait until it got dark and the tourists and guides left. Then their search would start.

Whitehouse—Secret Room—Same Time

Shadow walked in to see Tim. Her anger was the getting the better of her. How could Thorul do this to her? He had the audacity to assign her a partner. And for some strange reason she found herself looking for the man she captured.

Tim looked up from where he was shackled to the wall and smiled. "Hey beautiful," he said flirtatiously. "What brings you here?"

"I don't know," she admitted. Noticing she was probably sending the wrong message she added, "I don't know why Thorul has kept you alive."

"And you came here to ask me that of all people?" he said looking at her strangely. Before she could answer he said, "You look fairly well dressed. What's the occasion?"

Feeling a blush coming from the compliment, Shadow forced it away with all her will power and answered. "It doesn't concern you."

"Ouch," Tim said staring at her dress. It was red and looked tightly bound against her curvaceous body. It cut off at the thighs and was strapless. Her heels were also red, the same red, a red that Tim could only describe as passionate flames. "Why?" he asked after prying his eyes off her body to see her face to face.

"Why what?" she asked.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping him?" Tim elaborated.

For some reason, those questions caught Shadow off guard and she took a step back. "Because I want to," she answered not knowing why she did.

"Do you really?" Tim asked.

"Yes," Shadow barked. "The pay is good."

"I doubt this is for the money," Tim was staring at her eyes.

"Who said anything about money?" Shadow spoke up.

"Oh," Tim said, "so then why are you helping him when you could do so much more with your abilities?"

"Like I said the payoff is good," Shadow retorted. She hated repeating herself, it just got on her nerves and this man was getting there.

"What can be so good that you're ok with murdering people without even knowing why? Tim was careful not to yell it at her because that's what he wanted to do. But if he did it, then she most likely leave the room.

"Murdering is nothing new to me," she answered, "that's what I was made to do."

"Made," Tim repeated. "Shadow you weren't made. You get to make your own decisions."

"Don't act like you understand me!" Shadow yelled. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know more than you think," Tim defended his words.

"How?" Shadow narrowed her eyes at him.

"I do my research," Tim said smiling making Shadow feel another blush.

She turned around hiding it. Why was this happening? She should have never come down here in the first place but she did and wasn't leaving. This was something new to her. Never, not once, had she talked to someone the way she was talking to him now.

"Shadow," Tim said. She turned around. "You don't have to do this…come with me. I can help you. We can…can find what you need…together."

"No," Shadow said softly. "What I need to know only he knows."

"How can you be so sure?" Tim raised a brow.

"I've done my research," Shadow said smirking.

"Shadow please," Tim had never begged before. "Think about it. I can really help you." And he knew he actually could. He knew what she wanted to know but needed her to agree first.

Shadow sighed. She rubbed her forehead. Deciding she had nothing left to lose, she told him everything or almost everything. "Tim that is your name isn't it?" He nodded. "Look Tim," she liked the way the name rolled off her tongue. "I don't know if what you're saying is true but if it is then you know what I've been through. You know what those people did to me. Those people turned me into what I am today and now it's too late to change it. What I seek is truth and then maybe peace."

"It's never too late to change," Tim interrupted.

Ignoring him, Shadow continued. "I admit there is something off about this situation that I have yet to understand but I will soon. You can rest assured with knowing that. I can't change who I am now."

"Not alone," Tim said softly, "but with help it's possible."

"No not possible, not ever," Shadow said more to herself than Tim.

"You don't owe him anything," Tim tried to reassure her. "What more can you give him? Is it worth it?"

"I can give him anything because it is worth it," Shadow replied. "Do you know what it feels like to be alone, to lose everything, to have it stolen from you, and know that there is one person with all the answers but they don't come free?"

"No," Tim lied, but he couldn't give into her. If he'd said yes, then she'd have said then you do understand so why are you trying to me.

"Didn't think so," she said plainly. "Now if you excuse me I have a ball to attend." She reached into her bag and pulled out her red devil mask. She started walking back when Tim's voice caught her attention. Against her thoughts telling her to keep going, Shadow turned around.

"He'll betray you," Tim said desperately trying to change her mind.

"I know," Shadow said turning back around to face the exit.

Before she start walking away again Tim yelled," Wait!" and she froze.

"What?" she asked looking at the ground.

"Before you go, I just want you to know that I believe in you. I know you'll end up doing what's right. It's in your blood." He hoped she caught on to what he was saying.

"Don't get your hopes up," she said and walked out. I tend to disappoint, she thought.

The Willard Hotel—Kitchen—Same Time

John and Clark entered the hotel through the servants' entrance in the back. They had seen the people packed up front but it was just as crazy here in the kitchen. It was crowded with over twenty chefs, twenty waiter, and thirty waitresses. The president apparently wasn't a cheapskate when it came to parties. Grabbing platter of caviar and various other things Clark and John didn't recognize, they walked through the kitchen into the banquet room. It was still at little early and was barely getting dark but almost everyone was already there. Everyone except the president and the team.

John and Clark stayed close to each other while walking through the crowds of rich people. "Do you think they're here yet?" Clark asked over the sound of the classical music. Earlier one could see the expensive decorations and setup of the place but now all they could see where people.

"I hope so," John said shoving a woman out of his way. "I don't think we're going to be able to get out of this place if we wait any longer."

"Why exactly are we here anyways?" Clark asked. They hadn't really talked about why they were here in the first place. The only who probably did know was Bruce but with him being so secretive and all then…well you know.

"I think," John rubbed his chin trying to remember, "It's to try and figure who Thorul is and what exactly he is planning."

"I don't know," Clark said skeptically, "I think Bruce already knows who he is."

John stopped mid step, turned around almost dumping his platter on some random woman, and grabbed Clark's arm. "Then why are we here?"

"I think he just wants to confirm his doubts," Clark answered.

"He's willing to risk all our lives for some answers," John stated. "The boy is going to get us all killed."

"No," Clark reassured, "I've known Bruce for a long time, he wouldn't risk our lives for nothing."

"You're not denying it?" John asked but it wasn't really a question. He shook his head in disbelief and continued walking through the crowd of people.

Backstage—Same Time 

Loana and Shayera stood in the middle of a group of frantic woman. The girls were getting ready for the big show. They had barely any time to learn the dance themselves but had it clearly memorized. The dancers were putting their wings on while bumping into each other. Every once in a while they pushed Shayera's wings in a painful direction and she almost clawed at their necks. Where it not for Loana, she probably would have.

"Calm down," Loana ordered in a hush tone. Shayera grunted in response, clearly restraining her anger. They had their masks on already but Loana could see that Shayera's eyes looked like they were on the brink of bursting. She really didn't like this place. "Here," Loana said taking out a chip from her bra.

"What is it?" Shayera asked, examining the small object.

"It's a camera," Loana answered. "Mine and Bruce's little invention. I told him we should get as much as this down on camera since the paparazzi isn't allowed within a mile of this place."

"Thinking like a reporter, huh?" Shayera smiled placing the small device on her mask between her eyes.

Loana shrugged. "It's in my DNA."

"Girls, girls, girls," a woman said catching their attention. "It's show time!"

"Oh brother," Shayera blew the bangs out of her face.

"Finally," Loana said a little too excitedly.

"I expect a good show," the woman said in a menacing voice.

"Don't worry," Loana whispered. "It's one you're never going to forget."

The Banquet Room—Same Time

Diana did some last minute fixes on her dress and Wally's tux. She smiled and fixed his hair. "Ready?" Bruce asked her. She glanced at his hand and saw that he too had a gold ring on.

"Yes," she said softly. She grabbed one of Wally's hand and Bruce the other.

Weird, Wally thought, his hands aren't cold. They're actually kind of warm and comforting. Nothing like he had imagined. "Let's crash this party!" Wally shouted, catching a few people's attention.

Bruce looked down at him softly and said, "Calm down son. Remember your manners." Wally surprised at his warm tone, just nodded his head.

"Listen to daddy," Diana said, catching Bruce smile for a second.

"Daddy?" Wally wondered out loud.

"Yes," Bruce confirmed pulling all three of them into the banquet room. They were officially fashionably late. Everyone was here from what they could see. Wally started swing his arms catching a glimpse of the dessert table and Bruce had to tighten his grip around the boy's hand. Diana noticed too and did the same. "Not yet, later," he promised.

"Ok," Wally said.

Bruce turned around bumping into a woman dressed in red. "Sorry," she said and he caught a glimpse of her green eyes. Where had he seen those before? She looked very familiar.

Deepening his voice he answered, "Why it's alright. If anything it's my fault."

Smiling she said, "Then we share equal blame."

Bruce watched her walk away, taking in her form, trying to remember where he had seen her. If only she didn't have on that devil mask.

Diana noticed Bruce's eyes on the woman and pinched his back. Clearing her throat she said, "Are you done yet? Because I do believe we have a person to look for."

Bruce didn't answer but started walking them towards the center of the room.

"Where is everyone else?" Wally asked.

"There here somewhere," Diana answered keeping an eye out on the people around her.

"There," Bruce pointed to the stage upfront.

"Hey it's Loana and Shayera," Wally said before widening his eyes at what they were wearing. Bruce quickly noticed and covered his _son's_ eyes. Wally tried to push the hand away but Bruce's grip was too strong for him.

"I'll go see if they know anything," Diana volunteered.

"No wait," Bruce said but it was too late she was already gone. And she left him with Wally.

"Can we get dessert now?" Wally asked still holding Bruce's hand.

"Sure," Bruce said leading him to the table.

Whitehouse—Same Time

"Finally," Selina said, "there gone." Amanda and she came out of their hiding spots. They had been so close to getting caught earlier but Selina's quick wits saved them. They dropped down from the air vent, Selina landing in a perfect crouch and Amanda not so much perfect crouch.

"Where to?" Amanda asked pulling out her plasma gun. It was a little outdated but still got the job done.

"The president's office," Selina answered putting on her claws. It had been years since she used them. She hadn't needed them until now, so it was the perfect time to break them out. Earlier she had polished and sharpened them. Taking out a little computer screen, they made their way to the office. They really had remodeled this place. It was now bigger and more complex. Thinking about it now, Selina thought that it was made to match the Winchester Mansion. It had hallways that twisted into weird places, doors that led to nowhere, and staircases hidden around every corner. Basically it was a maze and they were the lab rats.

Remaining quiet, they turned several corners and entered through some secret passages. Only the people who worked here would now how to get there. Other than them, it'd take a genius to figure it out but Selina wasn't just some average bimbo. Well she wasn't young anymore but she was still smart. She'd even outsmarted Batman a few times and only a handful of people were able to do that.

"We're here," Selina said. They stood in front of an empty wall.

"Are you sure?" Amanda asked arming her gun.

"Yes," Selina said feeling the surface of the wall. It was smooth, too smooth. Someone had to gone through the trouble of hiding the hard exterior surface of a metal door. Of course, though it had to have a way in. Using the tip of her claws, Selina felt around for what she was sure was there. Finally after several minutes of feeling around, her claws screeched on something. "Here," she pointed. "It's a hand print scanner."

Amanda pointed her gun to where Selina had pointed. She set it to stun and fired away. The spot she hit immediately began to smoke and released some static electricity. The door slid wide open. "We have approximately fifteen minutes before security gets here," Amanda said.

"Then we better start looking for trap doors," Selina said rushing into the room. They started moving things around looking for the entrance to the underground prison cells. Amanda flipped over the desk and other cabinets while Selina focused more on finding buttons or books that would open doorways.

Amanda looked out the one sided window and saw the security arriving. "Crap they're here already!" she yelled to Selina who was focusing on a bookcase. One of those books could open the door but the others could be a deathtrap.

"We have a good ten minutes before they get in here," Selina started reading the titles of the books looking for something out of place.

The Willard Hotel—Banquet Room—Same Time

Bruce took Wally to the dessert table were Wally immediately started to divulge himself. "Manners," he reminded Wally who was busy stuffing three brownies into his mouth. He still had not let go of Wally's hand. Who knew what the kid would do? He could forget where he was and run off using his super speed.

Wally nodded and started eating painfully slow. "Cookie," he offered Bruce who shook his head.

Bruce started looking around the room trying to see where Diana had gone. He looked to where the dancers were performing their opening act. Surely Diana would be there waiting for them to finish to talk to Loana and Shayera.

A hand tapped his shoulder and said, "Crab cake?"

"No thanks," Bruce said without turning around.

"Suit yourself," the man said, "more for me."

Recognizing the voice, Bruce turned around. "Clark," he said.

"The one and only," Clark replied. "Where's Diana? I thought you guys were supposed to come as a family."

"She went to go find Loana and Shayera," Bruce answered. He was going to ask where John was but he was standing right next to him talking to Wally. The boy was cracking some jokes that only John would laugh at. "Has the president arrived yet?" Bruce asked.

"No," Clark answered. "Haven't seen him but we'll know when he comes. I'm sure everyone will clear a path for him and probably try to take the first dance with him." The music wasn't bad, it was classical orchestra. Upfront behind the stage where the Scarlet Angels were performing, was the orchestra. So far they had been playing slow soft songs. The men and some of the women were near the stage watching the girls perform.

John came up to Clark and Bruce. He had a slight look of anger on his face but was trying his best to hide it. "Bruce," he said coldly, "we should probably split up. People will notice you talking to the servants and begin to ask questions."

Bruce seemed to think about it for a moment until he said, "Wally lets go find mommy." They had to keep up the act even in front of their friends. They turned around and started walking toward where Bruce assumed Diana to be.

President's Office—Same Time

Selina still stood in front of the bookcase. Most of the books were about politics but a select few were about guns, some about martial arts, and one about family.

"There here!" Amanda yelled shooting towards the entrance.

The armed men started shooting back and Amanda hid behind the turned over desk, firing when she got the chance. They were badly outnumbered. It was two to ten, a bad number when in other words it's one to five.

"Put your hands up!" one of them said. "You're under arrest."

Selina without turning around put her hands up and said, "Well it looks like you caught us officers." She still eyes the books but waited for the man to come up behind her.

"Get the other," the man commanded his men. Three went up to Amanda while he grabbed Selina's hands. He put them behind her back but before he could put the cuffs on her, she flipped over him, twisting his arms in the process, and banged him against the bookcase. One down and it was the important one.

The men started shooting at her but she quickly pulled out her whip from inside her fur coat and started knocking the bullets out in midair.

Amanda hit the first man to come up to her with the butt of her gun, knocking him out and using him as a human shield. She shot from the side of his head, disarming several men.

Selina flipped through the air with catlike grace and landed on top of two men. She slit the back of their necks temporarily paralyzing them. Four down six more to go, she thought. Using her superior agility, Selina ran up to a man who was aiming for her and pushed the gun up at the last possible second. The bullet hit the only light source in the room. Now they were in complete darkness, where Selina had the advantage. The men however had night vision goggles on.

Amanda shot a man running up to tackle Selina and stunned him. Her gun was set to stun, but with just a bit more power than a Taser. It had to be enough to immobilize them.

The men noticed that Selina was the real challenge here and aimed to take her down first. Five men left, she noticed. She pushed the armless one away from her and wrapped her whip around the arm of another. Using the man's momentum to her advantage, she pulled him towards her and slammed their heads together. Four more left.

Amanda ran up to the one Selina had disarmed and stunned him. Even without a weapon, the man could still pose a threat. Three left. Then without a moment's notice, a man tackled her to the floor. They rolled around trying to shoot each other, Amanda with her stun gun and the man with bullets. She kneed him in the gut, trying to force him off. He didn't budge and managed to get his gun at her temple. He punched her trying to see if he could knock her out. Through her now blurry vision, Amanda saw the man's face go blue. It was then that she noticed Selina had wrapped her whip around his neck. She tightened her grip until the man went unconscious. Pushing the body off of her, Amanda wiped her bloody lip and picked up the man's gun. Hers had gotten kicked away in the process. Selina offered her hand and Amanda accepted it. From the corner of her eye, she saw a man load his gun and aim it at Selina's head. Amanda quickly jumped up and shot the man's hand, disabling him. One left but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's the other?" Amanda asked.

"He must have run off," Selina shrugged. She walked up to the bookcase and noticed a book had been moved slightly. It was the family one. "I think I know where he went." She grabbed the book and pulled it slightly. They heard gears turn and something open but nothing visible to the eye.

Amanda started walking around the room trying to pinpoint where the noise came from. "I don't see anything," she said.

"No we wouldn't," Selina said softly. "It has to be hidden from plain sight too." She walked over to the flipped over desk. Standing behind it, she pictured the office how it was when they first came in. She remembered where everything was situated before they started throwing things around looking for the entrance. Picturing the exact situation, she thought to where the president would be if he was here. He would obviously be sitting in his chair, his back to the window. "The window!" she blurted out.

"What?" Amanda said confused.

"The window it's not a window," Selina spoke.

"Yah it's a one sided window," Amanda tried to catch up. "You can see out but not in."

"No," Selina said walking up to it. "We didn't notice this before but this room is in the center of the building. Which means it can't have a window."

"And your point is?" Amanda asked.

"It's a computer monitor disguised to look like a window," Selina said feeling the smooth surface of the screen. "Remember how we struggled to get here with all the complex hallways and doors. Well think about it. If the president brings someone here then they probably get confused on the way and don't notice that this room is located in the center of the Whitehouse."

"So?"

"So this," Selina said pushing it in. The monitor flipped over revealing the entrance to another hallway. "The book unlocked the monitor."

"Clever," Amanda said. She gestured her arm forward and said, "After you."

Banquet Room—Same Time

Diana walked around several groups of dancing people. She needed to talk to Shayera and Loana. They had the best view over this place given that they were on top of the stage. Maybe they had noticed something off. She fixed her mask and stood next to the stage waiting for the dance to finish. She looked at their faces. Loana played the part perfectly, smiling and all. The girl was absolutely glowing. Reporters were so much like actors. Shayera on the other hand was not smiling. She in fact seemed to be frowning. She was doing the dance right but her posture gave off a negative energy that screamed of get me out of here.

The dance finished and Diana quickly caught her friends' attention. "Shayera, Loana!" she yelled whispered. They looked at her and casually walked in her direction.

"What?" Loana asked without looking at her.

"Has anything suspicious happened?" Diana asked.

Loana looked around and said, "No—wait!"

"What?" Both Shayera and Diana asked.

"He's here," Loana whispered, motion her eyes towards the man entering the banquet room surrounded by the secret service.

"Girls, girls, girls," a woman said, "Hurry up next number is in five." She rushed all the dancers backstage including Shayera and Loana.

Diana hurried along to try and find Bruce. Immediately the guests started clearing a path for their host. Unfortunately, Diana got caught in the clearing. President Thorul looked at her like fresh meat. He smiled and walked towards her gesturing his security away. Diana without moving her head saw Bruce and Wally trying to get to her. They were blocked off by the huge amount people circling around her and President Thorul.

He came up to her and kissed her hand. A twinkle of recognition flashed in his eyes. "May I have this dance?" he asked in a soft yet overwhelmingly frightening voice.

Diana gulped and answered, "Of course." Thorul looked at the composer and the man started playing Lux Aeterna, the first aggressive song of the night. He wrapped his arm around Diana's waist and used the other to hold her free hand.

The dance started off slow but soon progressed to being faster. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Diana said trying to remain calm.

"The pleasure is all mine," he said calmly, too calmly. "And you are?"

Diana tried to remember the name of the woman whose invitation she had stolen. She couldn't remember. This man was making her nervous just by looking at her. She lied and made up, "Blake, Mrs. Blake."

"Mrs." Thorul said. "So there is Mr. Blake?"

"Yes," Diana answered. "He's over there with our child."

Thorul quickly glanced at them and then spun Diana in his arms. "You two seem a little young to have a child."

"We're older then we presume to show," Diana said calmly.

"Really?" he asked. "And how is this possible?"

Diana batted her eye lashes. "Oh like you don't know," she said nonchalantly. It was then that she found him staring at her eyes. And she noticed, that he was the only person here not wearing a mask. "Where's your mask?" she asked.

"Oh I'm wearing one," he said imperturbably. Diana put on a face of confusion. "Isn't that why you and your friends are here for? To find out who I am." He smiled and Diana swore she felt her heart stop. Diana tried to pull away but he tightened his grip on her hand and her waist. "Oh Miss Spencer, did you really think I wouldn't recognize you?"

"I don't know what you are talking about?" Diana said, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck sticking up.

He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "This is all part of my plan. Did you think I would throw a ball for nothing?"

Quitting the act, Diana said, "This ball was planned over a year ago. How could you have possibly planned this for us?"

Sending his breath down her neck he said, "I know, I've always known this would happen. It was only a matter of time." He paused. "There's a war coming," he added. "And only one will survive."

"You don't seem afraid," Diana leaned into him. She saw Bruce was still trying to get her but a woman dressed in red stopped him with a conversation.

"I never lose," he whispered back into her ear, sending chills down her spine.

"A little cocky, don't you think?" Diana smiled.

"No not cocky," Thorul returned the smile, "not when you know where all the pieces are." Diana raised a brow. "You're here; Bruce is there with my friend, the two girls on the stage dancing, the two boys by the buffet, and the little one in my reach."

"What do you mean?" Diana asked.

Thorul let out a small chuckle. "Do you really think I came here unprepared? I already told you I knew this would happen. Look around you. I have my guards."

"That's nothing," Diana puffed out her chest, putting some space between them. "You clearly underestimate us."

"Look closer," Thorul leaned in; his lips dangerously close to Diana's.

Diana backed up a little looking everywhere. All she noticed were the few guards, the rich guests, and her friends. But then out of the corner of her eye, she saw the windows. They were big and surrounded almost every side of the room. Focusing her vision, she saw people on the roofs of the neighboring building and they had guns…snipers to be precise.

Her eyes widened and Thorul smiled. "Now you see."

"Why?" Diana asked. "Why go through all the trouble? Why invite all these people?"

Thorul let out another small laugh. "You still don't get it do you? Look around you. Here are you people, my main enemies, and the most powerful individuals this country has to offer. Now what would happen if somehow I managed, which I already did, to get all these people to come here and suddenly they were attacked by terrorists?" Diana's eyes went wide. He was trying to get rid of all his possible opponents. "It would be a grave day indeed but look on the bright side; I killed two birds with one stone. You the super powered brats getting in my way and these people who are trying to take my power away from me."

"You're insane," Diana accused through a forced smile. She was biting down on her teeth so hard that it felt like they would break any moment.

"It's coming to an end Miss Spencer," Thorul held her chin up with his hand.

"Don't be so sure," Diana said coldly. She was tired of pretending. "We'll stop you."

Thorul let out another wicked chuckle. "Please if you couldn't even do it the first time, what makes you think you can do it now? Remember, this has all happened before and the outcome will be the same."

"If you think you have us cornered then you're wrong," Diana said hastily. "This isn't going to end the same way."

Thorul pulled her in close again, their faces literally touching. "You always were the hardest to kill," he said. "I won't make that mistake again."

"I won't die," Diana said sternly. "Not now, not this time, not because of you."

"Maybe not today," Thorul leaned in towards her ear again, "but before the night has passed the conscious of your team will be dead."

"What?" Diana asked, the word _conscious_ ringing a bell. Then a shot was heard, followed by several others, and the sound of breaking windows. Diana pushed Thorul away from her and ran into the crowd of panicking people.

She heard him yell, "It is happening again and there's nothing you can do to change it!"

Whitehouse—Secret Room—Same Time

Selina and Amanda ran down a hall, taking a sharp turn at the end. The only thing there was a steel door with a small window. Looking inside, they could see that it led to an even bigger chamber. Tim had to be in there. Selina, using her claws, picked the lock open. They ran in shielding their eyes from the bright white fluorescent lights. They waited for their eyes to adjust before looking through each prison cell.

"Tim!" they started to call out. "Tim, are you here!"

"Mmmm," they heard from the last cell at the end of the corridor. They ran to the cell and saw Tim shackled to the wall with a gag on his mouth. He was bloody and beaten to a pulp. His left eye was black, and his lip swollen and bleeding. All around his face there were cuts and several large purple bruise. His clothes were ripped and they even looked sort of scorched. What the hell did they do to him?

Selina picked the lock and ran into the cell. "Tim, are you alright?" she asked. She tried to pick his shackles but they wouldn't budge. She however could still see the friction burns on his wrists from all his struggling to get free. "What did they do to you?"

He couldn't answer but just mumble nonsense. Selina cut the gag off of his mouth using her claw. "It's a trap!" he yelled.

"What?" Selina asked before hearing Amanda scream. She turned her head quickly to see a man dressed in a black suit with a red bird insignia on his chest, bang Amanda's head on the wall knocking her out. "Amanda!" she yelled, letting go of Tim's shackles. She wouldn't be able to get them off anyways.

"Selina run!" Tim shouted. "Go he's going to kill you."

"I'm not leaving," Selina stood her ground. "I didn't come all the way over here for nothing. I'm not losing another member of the bat family."

"He'll beat you," Tim said, "don't you recognize him!"

"No I don't," Selina said, "and I don't need to." She jumped for the man before Tim could say anything else.

She aimed to punch his Adam apple but he blocked her move. Selina raised a brow, so this guy did know what he's doing. No matter, Selina thought, I've fought worse.

Renegade took charge and tackled Selina to the ground. She kicked him off, using the man's speed against him. They both stood up and Selina immediately swung her claws for his face. He ducked and moved backwards allowing her to come closer. Selina kicked her leg out, but he caught it and send her tumbling backwards. She landed on the ground uncomfortable feeling her right leg misplace a little.

"You're getting too old for this," the man finally spoke. "Your bones will break easily."

"Your one to talk," Selina said standing back up. "What's your name anyways?"

"Renegade," the man answered.

Selina took out her whip and swung it toward him. He leaned back missing it by an inch. "Quick reflexes," Selina complimented. "Too bad mine are catlike." She pounced off a wall towards him. Using the speed of the moment, she knocked him into the wall behind him and started clawing at his chest before he could react. If lucky she'd cut a vital artery.

Renegade empowered by the sudden anger, kicked her off of him and slammed her on the floor. He held her neck in a death grip. Her face slowed started turning pale.

Selina struggling in Renegade's grip, reached inside her coat pulling out a small yet sufficient dagger. Using all her energy, she swung it across his face, forcing him to let go and stumble backwards. She saw him cover his face with his hands, trying to stop the blood from flowing out. Standing up, Selina grabbed her whip and swung it around Renegade's wrists. She tightened her grip and pulled him towards. "Told you I got this," Selina turned to face Tim. He gave her a small smile before she turned back around. Renegade's mask fall off his face from being cut by Selina's dagger. She looked into his deep blue eyes and said, "Dick?"

Renegade slammed his head into hers and then punched her across the face knocking her out.

"Selina!" Tim yelled, struggling against his shackles, worsening the friction burns. He looked up into the cold blue eyes of his once adopted father. "Dick what have they done to you?" Then he too blacked out.

Banquet Room—Same Time 

Bruce grabbed Wally's hand tighter and started running.

"Bruce," Wally said in a scared tone. "What's happening?"

"Nothing Wally," Bruce said through pants. He saw red dots from snipers on several people running around and said, "It's a game just stay away from those red dots ok."

"Ok," Wally said. He was panting too but not from running but from fear. He knew something was wrong and could see a bunch of people falling to the ground around him with giant puddles of red liquid forming around their bodies. He heard the dancing girls on stage scream and the stage started to tumble over.

Shayera flew up forgetting about Loana's lack of powers.

Bruce looked in that direction and saw Clark fly and catch Loana in midair. He saw them embrace in midair and Loana give Clark a kiss in appreciation. On the other side of the room, he saw Shayera and John hug each other. Immediately though armed men broke in and started shooting at everyone but specifically them.

Diana saw Bruce and Wally straight ahead of her and started running towards. Then she felt someone tug on her shoulder and turn her over. It was the woman in the red dress with the devil mask. "Who—" She was cut off by a punch to the face. Diana stumbled backwards from the impact. "Shadow," she said through gritted teeth.

"You remember me," Shadow held a hand to her chest. "I'm honored." She ripped off her mask and let it fall to the floor.

"No claws I see," Diana pointed out.

"Don't need them," Shadow jumped for her. She went for a gut hit but Diana blocked it with key precision.

"Last time you caught me off guard," Diana spoke in between hits, "but this time I'm prepared."

"Are you really?" Shadow asked and then aimed to punch her in the face again. Diana caught it, twisted it, turned, and flipped Shadow over her shoulder. Shadow quickly retaliated by kicking Diana's feet from under her.

Diana landed on her knees and used her gauntlets to block the oncoming hit from above. The impact of the hit sent a shudder through her bones.

"You've got skills," Shadow was impressed. "Too bad I'm better." She let Diana get up and then grabbed her by the neck. She caught sight of the impressive pearls around her neck. "Nice accessories," Shadow reached for them. "Mind if I borrow them?"

Diana immediately kneed Shadow in the gut and then took them flying in the air. She grabbed Shadow's hands from her neck and pried them off, letting her fall to the ground. She landed next to her. Shadow's eyes were closed and her body still but she wasn't unconscious, Diana knew. Ripping off her gloves, Diana got ready to punch her unconscious when she remembered who the woman was to her. At the last second, she held back and didn't do it. Shadow's eyes popped wide open and she kicked Diana to the floor. She reached for neck and ripped the pearls off without damaging them. Then before she could finish the girl off, something with wings slammed into her.

"Diana," Shayera said, holding a hand out. Diana grabbed it.

"Where's Bruce?" she asked, trying to regain her lost air.

"He's getting Clark and Loana," Shayera answered and then was pushed out of the way by Diana who used her gauntlets to block the oncoming bullets.

"We have to get out of here," Diana said blocking more bullets with Amazon grace.

"John's finding us a way out," Shayera said using her wings as protection. "The front doors are crowded with people trying to get out."

"We have to get Bruce," Diana spoke. "I need to tell him something." She grabbed Shayera's arm and started flying.

"Come on Wally," Bruce said trying to make the kid run faster. "I thought you were a speedster."

Wally picked up the pace a little and said, "Bruce I'm scared." And this time it was Wally who tightened the grip in on their hands.

"It's ok," Bruce tried to reassure him. "We just need to find Clark and Loana and then we can leave." Wally nodded and then ducked his head when he heard more gun shots. He saw Bruce take out three batarangs and throw them at some men with guns.

"There they are!" Bruce yelled over the panic screams. He started running in a different direction dragging Wally with him.

Wally noticed a red dot on Bruce's back and remembered what he had told him. "Bruce," Wally tried to grab his attention.

"Not now Wally," Bruce kept running towards Clark and Loana.

"Bruce," Wally said before pushing Bruce out of the way of the oncoming bullet.

Bruce landed on the floor with a thump and saw Wally standing up in front of him with tears in his eyes. He looked down to see the boy with his hands clutched around his stomach. Wally removed his hands and Bruce could see an expanding red spot on the boy's white shirt. Wally dropped to the floor, shaking like crazy. "Wally!" Bruce yelled dropping next to him. He grabbed Wally's bloody hands and moved them away from the wound.

Clark and Loana saw Bruce and Wally running towards them and then saw Bruce fall to the floor. Only Clark with his super vision was able to see Wally take a bullet for Bruce. "Wally!" Clark yelled. He picked up Loana and flew towards them.

"Oh my God what happened?!" Loana shouted and then covered her mouth. Clark dropped to the floor and applied pressure to Wally's stomach. Bullets hit him but Clark's invincibility made them shatter upon impact.

"Clark, get him out of here now!" Bruce ordered.

"What about everyone else?" Clark asked picking Wally up.

"Take Loana with you," Bruce added. "The rest of us will meet up where we planned. Understood?"

Clark needed not answer. He grabbed Loana and flew through the broken windows. At that same moment, Diana and Shayera landed in front of Bruce. "What happened?" was the first thing out of Shayera's mouth. "I just saw Clark fly off with Loana and Wally."

"Yes now we need to go too," Bruce answered. "Diana you come with me. Shayera find John and get out of here."

"But—"

"Now!" Bruce barked. "I'll explain later." He grabbed Diana's arm and started running in the opposite direction of the frantic people.

"Bruce I need to tell you something," Diana said, ripping her arm out of Bruce's grip.

"Not now, Diana," Bruce said coldly. "We can't let him get away. Right now I need you to watch my back." Bruce scanned the entire room with his eyes. He spotted several guards exiting through a back door. Taking out several batarangs, he threw them and then knocked them all out.

Diana using her gauntlets blocked the bullets from pursuing armed men. "Go!" Diana said, "I'll hold these guys off." Bruce nodded his head and went inside the room. He saw a shadow turn a corner and followed it.

"Stop!" he yelled preparing to throw a batarang. He turned the corner and went into a room filled with several large guards. Only one person could be in the middle of them.

"Mr. Gaius," said the president's voice from the center. "Glad you could join us."

"Present yourself," Bruce ordered, batarang still in his hand. The guards pulled out their guns and pointed them at him.

Thorul laughed and ordered his men to step aside. They did. "Leave us won't you?" it wasn't a question. The guards bowed and exited the room. "What brings you here?" Thorul asked arms behind his back.

"You know why I'm here," Bruce stiffened.

"You're here to clear your doubts," Thorul smiled. "Well go ahead I won't stop you. Who do you think I am? I'm sure that's why you're here."

"You're not going to confirm or deny my assumption, are you?" Bruce asked eyes on Thorul.

"I might," Thorul gave a grin.

"Alexander Luthor," Bruce spoke, "better known as Lex Luthor."

As he said, Thorul neither confirmed nor denied this. "What makes you guess that?"

"First of all because Joseph, the name you use, is the name of your father and secondly because Thorul is an anagram for Luthor hence you are Lex Luthor." Bruce for the first time in a while let a knowing smirk display itself on his face.

Thorul walked up to him. "Believe what you want," he said. "It really doesn't matter who I am." He turned around and paused. "You may leave now…unless…"

"Unless what?" Bruce asked.

Thorul turned around and smiled. "I have a proposition for you. One you can leave right now freely or two you can stay, I'll tell you a secret, and then I'll kill you."

"What makes you think it won't be the other way around," Bruce looked at his utility belt drawing a laugh from Thorul.

"You haven't changed a bit, Bruce," Thorul laughed. "You still think you're in charge and look where that has gotten you. You've killed another child."

"You—" Thorul cut him off by holding a hand up.

"Make up your mind," Thorul said, "if not I'll just call my guards in here and have them kill you on the spot. You're bound to die soon regardless."

Deciding it was best to leave Bruce turned around and started walking towards the exit. "Wait," he heard Thorul say. "Don't you want to know what happened to your parents?" Bruce froze.

He narrowed his eyes. "What do you know about my parents?"

"I know that I killed them," Thorul said casually. Before Bruce could say anything, he added, "I know you think it was an accident but believe me it wasn't. By now you probably have at least an idea on how I've evaded the limitation laws. Well to save you the trouble the answer is simple: plastic surgery. But now I'm avoiding the point. So as I was saying, I killed your parents. I hired a man to kill them. I guess he figured I was going to kill him too and ended up getting drunk and killing himself in the process."

"Why?" Bruce asked.

"Your father Thomas Gaius was the only man in this country to have the courage to run against me and stand a threat. He came so close to figuring everything out with his Martha Gaius the owner of the NovaCity Law Firm. So I of course had to take action. I eliminated them but think of how I felt when I found they had an heir to their vast fortune and that it was precisely you. It wasn't until recently that I made the connection that in a way I helped in the creation of my worst enemy. Isn't that ironic, but apparently the fates have a sense of humor. But you wouldn't understand that. You never believed in anything."

"You're not Lex Luthor," Bruce said.

Thorul smiled. "No I'm not. I just needed everyone to think I was." He glanced at his watch and said, "Well would you look at that. It's time for you to die. Guards!" They came bursting in. "Kill him."

They aimed their guns at Bruce and he had no intention of moving. Everything was slipping from his hands. He'd never felt so destroyed, so responsible for everything that was happening but then he heard a voice.

"Bruce!" Diana yelled breaking into the room and blocking the oncoming bullets. Thorul turned around, shocked, and ordered his guards to kill them both.

Diana grabbed a frozen Bruce and flew out of the building as quick as she could while blocking the bullets heading towards them with her gauntlets.

Thorul watched them fly away already planning his next move. "I underestimated you again Amazon," he said to no one in particular. "Let them go," he said to his guards. "Their time will come soon enough."

**A/N Sorry for any grammar errors guys. I just wanted to publish this as soon as possible. So there were some big revelations. Oh and for anyone who doesn't know, an anagram is a word whose letters can be rearranged to spell a different word. The song Lux Aeterna is the song from Lord of the Rings. I thought that it would fit this chapter perfectly since in the movie it was put during a battle scene. I hope I gave you guys enough action. Now Martian Manhunter will join the team probably not in the next chapter but the chapter after. It may be later but just wanted to let you guys know ahead of time. I hope you guys liked it. So please review, let me know what you think, ask questions, and the next chapter will be up in a few days. **


	15. Flashbacks

**Chapter 15 (Flashbacks)**

**A/N This chapter is going to pick up from where the last one left off but then will skip ahead two months and cover the reflections of mistakes and memories of what happened during the two month period. I will put a header as to when it skips the time so that no one is confused. J'onn will be up soon. I promise. Now I know most of you are asking yourselves who is Thorul and just to make it clear he is not Lex Luthor he just wanted to make everyone think he was. As for Shadow, I have done my best to make her as cryptic as possible and from what you guys say I think I have her just to my liking. I didn't make her to be understood; I wanted her to be as mysterious as possible. As for Dick Grayson, there is a story behind his sudden return, it's terrible and really sad and I'll eventually cover it. This chapter will cover a huge change in Shadow's role, so don't be surprised at what she does. Enjoy.**

Blood, there was blood everywhere. And to make it worse, it was Wally's blood. The team regrouped in a shabby motel room. Clark and Loana were obviously the first ones there with Wally. Shayera and John got there shortly after. Bruce and Diana were still not there, they had to get some medical equipment to treat Wally's wound. There was no way they'd be able to take him to the hospital now without the government tracking them down.

Loana remaining as calm as possible, fixed the sheets on the bed and spread several towels over them. Clark slowly but extremely painfully for Wally set him down on the bed. Wally moaned in pain, while letting out a sharp grunt of discomfort. The boy was unconscious but still made noises of agony. It was too much for Shayera, who instantly grew a bond with the boy, to stay and watch. With the room being so small, she could only turn around and cover her face.

"Where are Bruce and Diana?!" Shayera yelled wiping the tears off her eyes. John came up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon," he tried to reassure her. He turned to Clark. "What happened?"

"Isn't it obvious," Clark said still applying pressure to Wally's wound. The boy squirmed under his hand and started sweating. "He got shot."

"You know that's not what I mean?" John raised a brow.

Shayera wiped her tears and turned around. "How did he get shot, Clark?" She gave him an 'I am now in mother bear mode' look.

Clark sighed. "He pushed Bruce out of the way of a bullet taking the hit himself." He brought his free hand to cover his eyes and heard, literally heard Shayera's heart skip a beat and John's blood run to his face. Loana was well aware of what had happened and for the first time in her life remained quiet.

"I'm going to kill Bruce," John said popping his knuckles.

"No you're not," Clark spoke, not taking his eyes off of a paling Wally. "Who else will remove the bullet?" He paused, thinking for a minute. He noticed his palms were sweating aside from also having Wally's blood on them. "And it wasn't Bruce's fault the boy pushed him out of the way. I'm sure…no positive that Bruce would have done the same."

"You're damn right I would have," Bruce said from the door. He entered running to Wally's side along with Diana.

"Did you guys get the stuff?" Loana came out of her silence.

"Yes," Diana answered pulling out a syringe with a clear liquid in it.

"Diana, Clark stay here," Bruce spoke. "The rest of you get out!" Before John could protest, Loana and Shayera shoved him out along with themselves.

Bruce pulled out a small scalpel. "What are you doing?" Diana asked.

"Wally's healing factor is closing the wound. I need to cut through him to get the bullet out. Diana put the anesthetic in him when I say go. With his metabolism it will only last us a few minutes and even then it's still not enough to take all the pain away just enough so that he doesn't die from shock." Bruce took a deep breath. "Ready?" Diana nodded. "Go!" he yelled. Diana stuck the needle in one of Wally's veins and watched the liquid disappear into his system. Clark ripped the fabric of Wally's shirt off, exposing his stomach and chest.

Bruce took the scalpel in hand and quickly started cutting a small yet big enough incision on Wally's stomach. Already, scar tissue was piling up and Bruce had to push down harder to beat the gathering skin. Then Wally's eyes flew open and he started thrashing. "Diana, Clark, hold him down!" Diana grabbed Wally's left leg and arm and used her super strength to try and keep him still. Clark did the same on the other side but even with their combined strength, Wally still thrashed.

Wally screamed at the top of his lungs, when Bruce completely reopened his wound. Grabbing a pair of tweezers, Bruce said, "I'm sorry Wally," and he yanked the bullet out, releasing a deafening cry of pain from Wally. Diana did her best to stop her tears and Clark didn't care, he let them out.

Still thrashing, Bruce grabbed an antiseptic and applied it to the gash. Wally cried out at the burning sensation trying to slam his head into the bedframe to lose consciousness. With expert precision, Bruce stitched Wally up and then made him swallow a whole bottle of painkillers. It took a lot to give the relieving affect to Wally.

"Bru…Bruce," Wally said in his drowsiness. "I…I'm…sor...sorry. You said…to…stay away…from th…thee…red dots…and I didn't…listen."

Diana dropped to his side and put a hand to Wally's forehead. He was burning up but the medicine would kick in soon. "No Wally this isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself." She started crying. "You're very brave Wally. Very strong."

"Really?" Wally asked through coughs.

Clark was the next to drop to his knees. "Of course champ." He kissed Wally's forehead, feeling relieved that Wally did not die on them. He was and would forever be a part of their family.

"My tummy hurts," Wally said moving his hands to the stitches.

"No!" Bruce almost yelled. He grabbed Wally's hands a little more harshly then intended and put them to his sides. "No Wally. Don't touch them…please…just don't touch them. Ok?" Don't ever scare me like that again, he didn't say. Don't ever die, he ordered in his head.

Wally nodded his head and fell asleep. Diana got up and let the others back in. John and Shayera immediately ran to Wally's side and grabbed his hands squeezing them tightly. Loana went up to Clark and hugged him. She wasn't one to comfort but for Clark she tried her best. She set aside her attitude and let Clark sob into her shoulder. "He's going to be alright, Boy Scout," she tried to reassure, patting him on the back.

John let go of Wally's hand. He had business to settle and it was better if he got it off his chest as soon as possible. It wasn't going to be pretty, he knew, but it had to be done. Standing up straight he said sternly, "Bruce a word." Bruce looked at him curiously and then nodded in agreement. Diana attempted to follow them out but John raised his hand in disapproval, "In private."

They walked out into the open, closing the door behind them. John pressed his ear against the door making sure no one was listening from behind. When satisfied, he went rigid. "Are you fucking insane?" he asked Bruce.

Bruce raised a brow. "I beg your pardon." He almost looked offended at John's poor choice of words.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" John practically yelled throwing his arms in the air.

Bruce let out a small amount of air and shook his head slightly. "You're going to have to be more specific John."

John gave his best scowl at Bruce but it didn't faze him. This made John angrier and put a look of disgust on his face. If he didn't lose the habit long ago, John would have spit on the ground to show his repugnance. "You know what I mean," he accused with a finger to Bruce's chest. Bruce pushed it away hastily. He gave a look that said 'I have no idea what you're talking about'.

"Look John," Bruce tried to remain calm, "if you're not going to be specific then you are clearly wasting my time." He turned around to go back inside when John abruptly turned him back around. Instinctively, Bruce pushed John's arms off of him and kicked him away. John hunched over and coughed from losing his air. Bruce, quickly but at the same time casually, walked up to him.

"John, are you-" he started but was pushed away by John's reflexive arm.

"Get away from me!" John yelled after regaining his breath. He stood straight up and faced Bruce. "Bruce, don't act stupid! You know what's wrong. I know that this whole time you knew the risks of the mission!"

Bruce for a second let a mixed look of shock and amusement cross his face. This is what John was talking about. "Everyone knew John. I believe that was made clear." Bruce refrained from laughing.

"Not everyone," John corrected. Bruce flinched knowing what was coming next. John smirked knowingly. "And what happened to that one person who had no idea what was going on?"

"I don't have time for this," Bruce waved his hand prepared to leave.

John let out a groan. "Huh, you don't even want to face your own mistake, coward." The last part was said loud enough for Bruce to hear clearly.

At the sound of that word rolling off of John's tongue, something in Bruce snapped. "What did you say?" he asked through gritted teeth.

John shrugged his shoulders. "You heard me."

"Take it back," Bruce ordered.

"Make me," John stood his ground.

"Don't think that I can't," Bruce said stepping forward. "I will—"

"You're not going to do a thing," John raised his voice. "It isn't in your favor. We all know that Wally's injury is clearly your fault and doing something to me will just make you look worse. I know the whole reason for that mission was just to clarify your doubts on the identity of Thorul. Tell me was that worth almost losing the life of a small child?" No answer. "I didn't think so. Frankly, I don't even know why Shayera and I are even here. We didn't sign up for this."

"Well then leave!" Bruce shouted no longer trying to contain his anger. "Nobody asked you to tag along."

John remained still for a minute thinking about the possibility of just leaving. "If I decide to leave I'm taking Wally with me," John finally said. "He'll be better off in mine and Shayera's care."

"No!" Bruce shouted, completely eliminating any space that was between them. "You will not take Wally from me. You can stay if you wish _but_ if you leave forget about taking my boy."

John almost fell backwards from the impact of the words so close to him. But what shocked him more was that Bruce referred to Wally as his like as if he owned him. Maybe he wasn't as bad as he had thought him to be. Anybody with a sense of protection over another deserved a second chance. "Fine, I'm staying," John answered plainly and then walked back into the motel room with Bruce following shortly.

Whitehouse—Secret Room—Next Day

Shadow walked into Thorul's office ready for her pay. She hadn't completely finished her task but as far as she knew Thorul now had both Selina Kyle and Tim Drake-Grayson in his custody which still qualified her for partial pay. Even if she wasn't the one who captured Selina Kyle but regardless he still had her in his custody so that was good enough for her to take credit.

The first thing she noticed, was that Thorul was not in his office, meaning that he was obviously in the secret room he held so dearly. She walked up to the bookcase and pulled the book she knew would unlock the monitor screen. She pushed it in and jumped inside. Walking down the hallway, she came across Thorul, gun in hand, standing next to Renegade her _partner_ and current competition.

"Oh Shadow," Thorul said without looking at her, "nice of you to make it. You're just in time."

Shadow rolled her eyes. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Come look," Thorul said calling her with his free hand. She walked closer to him and stood between him and Renegade. Arms crossed and a face of blank expression, Shadow looked straight ahead of her. Strapped to a chair with a bag covering her face, sat a particular old, dark, and slightly overweight woman. She looked familiar but Shadow couldn't completely tell since the bag was on her face. From the woman's breathing pattern, Shadow could tell that the woman was knocked out but slowly regaining consciousness.

"Look Thorul," Shadow took her eyes off the woman. "I'm just here to collect some pay."

"Oh really," Thorul raised a brow. He took out a small checkbook and a pen, setting his gun aside. "Well I can't say you haven't done your job so how much would you like for the part that's been completed?"

Shadow let out a small chuckle and took the checkbook away from Thorul's hands. She threw it to the wall. "I don't want money," she said. "I don't need it. I have plenty, trust me."

Thorul looked amuse. He hadn't expected to hear that. "So then what exactly do you want?"

Shadow stood straight and firm. "I want knowledge. I want to know the name of the woman who supervised me during my time in Cadmus."

Thorul went pensive for a moment before bringing his hand to his chin. "Her name _was_ Amanda Waller."

"What do you mean by _was_?" Shadow asked fearing the worst.

Amanda regaining full consciousness heard the voices of a man she knew to be Thorul and a woman whose voice seemed faintly familiar. She also felt a third presence but it barely felt alive almost dead.

"I'll show you Shadow," Thorul said raising his gun, confusing Shadow even more. What was he going to show her?

He loaded the gun and turned the safety off. Pointing it at Amanda's head, he shot but not before Amanda yelled, "Wait! Shadow I'm Amanda!"

"What?" Shadow gasped allowing her hands to run to her mouth after seeing the bullet strike Amanda's head through the bag and kill her. She ran up to her and ripped the bag off her face, almost falling back when she came face to face with the woman who practically raised her. She ripped the binds tying Amanda to the chair and let the lifeless body fall into her arms. She felt like crying but would not cry in front of the two men in the room.

Thorul looked at Shadow with disgust and then headed back to his office saying, "We need to get rid of all loose ends." He pressed a button on his key chain knowing what would happen next. He really did mean all loose ends. That included Shadow.

Shadow ripped off her cowl letting it hand behind her and she let out two single tears. She cupped Amanda's cheeks and cried into her neck. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I failed you." She gently laid Amanda on her back and closed her eyes for the last time. Shadow wiped her nose and said, "This means change."

Thorul stood facing outside the Whitehouse in the gardens. Back faced towards the only entrance, he heard Shadow stomp her way to him. "Is something wrong?" he asked. Shadow swung her arm for his turned head but her arm was caught in midair by Renegade who appeared out of nowhere. Thorul turned around. "Why so angry, Shadow? You now know the woman's name."

Shadow struggled against Renegade's grip. "Let go of me," she barked. The man was equally as strong as her.

Renegade looked at her like he completely missed what she said. "He won't let go until I say so," Thorul spoke plainly. "See he's actually completely in my control and does not make mistakes."

"The only mistake I made was joining you," Shadow said, breaking free from Renegade's grip. She flipped backwards, kicking Renegade to the ground in the process.

"Don't feel bad," Thorul said while watching Renegade rise with a new sudden anger. "This was all part of my plan. Like I said all we (Thorul and Renegade) need to get rid of all loose ends. You just didn't make the cutoff line." He glanced at Renegade who immediately sprung for Shadow.

She sidestepped, barely dodging his oncoming punch by a hair strand. Moving back, Shadow grabbed her whip and swung it around Renegade's hand. She tightened her grip and pulled him into a roundhouse kick.

Renegade quickly recovered and blocked another kick with his free arm. He grabbed Shadow's foot and attempted to twist it. Shadow twisted her whole body in the process and used the force to push herself away but not before Renegade threw two explosives at her. The impact knocked her on her butt and Renegade quickly jumped on top of her pinning her arms down with his knees.

Blowing her bangs out of her face, Shadow slammed her head onto his. It did nothing but make her head hurt and he looked perfectly fine. "You're wasting your energy," Thorul said walking up to her. "There's not much left in there to hurt." He pulled out his favorite dagger and played with it before saying. "If you stay still it'll be quick and painless." Shadow seemed to oblige and remained inhumanly still. She almost looked dead already.

Shadow closed her eyes and waited, waited until she felt Renegade shift his weight a little and then felt the tip of the dagger draw circles around her throat. Quickly, Shadow bit Thorul's finger and caught the knife in her mouth. Thorul jumped back from the sudden bite that drew blood from his fingers. Shadow then quickly swiped the knife across Renegade's face, gashing him. His hand went up to cup his cheek and Shadow used that opportunity of distraction to crotch hit him and roll away.

She let out a small sigh of relief and stood up. "Where we're we?" she asked grabbing her whip. Firm in her hand, Shadow got ready to swing.

Thorul suddenly broke into laughter. "Even you must notice the difficulty in your predicament." He moved his hand in a circle around the garden. The SWAT team had surrounded them followed by the secret service. "Give up. It's over."

Shadow wrapped her whip up and hung it from her utility belt. Clutched hands rose into the air. "You got me," Shadow said smiling.

"Arrest her," Thorul ordered, eyes narrowed at Shadow's grin. Something was not right. Not even Shadow gave up this easy. Then almost as if on cue, a group of armed men went up to hand cuff her when at the last second Shadow opened her hands and three smoke screens fell to the floor releasing a mixture of black smoke and anesthetic gas knocking most of the men out and blocking remaining men's eyesight. Fuck, Thorul thought. When the smoke cleared, Shadow was long gone.

Two Months Later—NovaCity—Gaius Manor

Two months passed like nothing. The team decided to return to NovaCity and hide in plain sight while Wally recovered from his injury. He wasn't allowed to run and couldn't regardless if he wanted to or not because apparently the bullet to the stomach wasn't accidental. Or at least that is what Bruce assumed. Since Wally's powers derived from energy, his stomach being the source of getting that energy, currently being injured prevented him from running. He'd tire out in just a few seconds but overtime, he was slowly healing. His healing factor was another thing that suffered from his stomach injury. No food meant no super healing. Well they still fed him but not as much as he was used to for risk of reopening healing wounds.

Being that there were plenty of rooms in the manor, everyone got their own. Daphne had always prohibited that boys share a room with girls and even if she wasn't with them at the moment her rules still stood, so the two couples in the house were currently residing in different bedrooms. Loana, Shayera, and Diana had guest bedrooms in the east wing of the mansion while the boys had their rooms on the west wing. Bruce of course maintained his regular bedroom which was also the master bedroom. Clark had the room next to him and shared with Wally who refused to have sleep in one alone. Bruce had considered sharing his room with Wally, but unfortunately (yet fortunately) Clark took him in before Bruce could speak a word.

As the days passed, they started returning to having fairly normal lives. Loana and Clark would often go the theaters as a couple and take Wally with them. He still didn't know anything about relationships so they had nothing to worry about. Shayera and John sometimes went out to dinner or shopping and also took Wally with them. Diana spent her days in the garden and in her spare time used the piano in the living room. Wally had one day stumbled in and her playing Fur Elise. His musical instincts kicked in and he demanded, yes demanded, that Diana teach him how to play music. She had laughed and agreed to teach him. Everyone seemed to be taking part in Wally's life except for Bruce. And strangely, Bruce started feeling jealous. He never spent time with Wally during the first month of his recovery. Then when the second month came, he decided to take a stand.

Bruce had walked up to Wally one day and softly…well softly for Bruce…asked him if he wanted to learn how to fight. Wally had looked pensive for a moment but reluctantly agreed. Bruce had started off simple by first teaching the boy acrobatics. In a few short days, Wally was throwing himself to and from the trapeze. When Wally got the hang of acrobatics, Bruce decided to teach him martial arts. Knowing various types, Bruce just taught him different techniques at the same time claiming it to be a style he invented. Soon the boy was fighting like a professional or at least good enough to protect himself. Diana had even taken the time to spar with him. She went easy at first but against it later when Wally knocked her on her butt. Diana, of course, had also studied many martial arts forms and beat Wally easily and sometimes let him win with the exception of their first fight of course.

Diana then started sparring with Bruce to get a better challenge. It turned out that even though Bruce studied more martial arts than her, she was better than him. She was more aggressive and could take him down fast. Her flight and super strength turned out just to be icing on the cake. Diana surprisingly also knew how to use a bow and arrow, but her favorite weapon was a sword. Bruce ended up asking her where she learned how to use those weapons and Diana answered that her mother had hired special trainers to teach her from a young age. She knew Bruce wanted her to teach him but was too prideful to ask, so Diana offered and he reluctantly, without being so reluctant, agreed. To him it was a way to better his fighting skills since he aside from Loana was the only one without powers. John still hadn't been able to activate his ring but eventually he would and not be counted as a regular person anymore. To Diana, training Bruce was a bonding exercise. Even if he didn't notice, he was falling for Diana all over again and she for him.

Everyone in some way, had asked Loana to pick up some sort of fighting skill but she refused all offers. In her defense, she had said that she wasn't a reincarnated league member and when this was all over her life would go back to normal. She wasn't looking to becoming a superhero or even vigilante. For the time being she would help all she could but her life calling was still journalism. Eventually she'd go back to being a reporter and be the first to cover the biggest story of the century: The Return of the Justice League. It was up to her to inform the people of their return and existence, whatever the outcome of the last battle would be.

"You know," Loana said bring Bruce out of his thought, "we still need a plan."

Bruce looked up to her. She aside from Diana was probably the most intellectually inspired person here. Their intellectualism however each individually differed. Bruce was very clear and to the point. Diana was more of someone you would think was wise from years of experience. Loana, on the other hand, was someone who looked at the bigger picture, being a reporter meant that she had to overlook a whole situation before coming to a conclusion. The three of them, were really the brains of the group. "I already have one," Bruce said nonchalantly.

"Oh," Loana said sitting on the couch across from him. "Mind sharing it with me?"

"Maybe," Bruce answered, "it depends; where is everyone else?"

"Clark is out buying groceries. John and Shayera went out. And I think I can hear Diana giving Wally his piano lessons." Loana smiled.

"Sure," Bruce decided. "I've put a lot of thought into this so hear me out. I know we sort of went back to relatively normal lives since we got here. It's quite obvious something happened to Selina and Amanda since they never showed up or tried to contact us. So I decided that we should finish what we started now that Wally is healed."

"Why?" Loana asked simply. "We've been as you said having regular lives. Why change them for something that doesn't have to happen?"

"This isn't normal," Bruce hesitated before taking a deep breath. "This is the calm before the storm. Maybe Thorul doesn't know we're here right now but eventually if we don't go he'll figure it out if he hasn't already."

Loana giving up slightly slouched. "So what's your big plan then?"

"Martian Manhunter," Bruce answered. "We need to find him and I know exactly where he is."

Intrigued, Loana leaned forward. "How could you possibly know when the only reason we are all here is by mere coincidence that the adults knew each other."

Bruce tried to find a way to put his thoughts into words and settled with, "There are no such things as coincidences. Everything happens for a reason and this, what we are experiencing right, was all planned, engraved in stone, and meant to happen."

"That doesn't answer my question," Loana pointed out.

Bruce sighed. "I know where Manhunter is because a few days before the ball Selina and I were up watching television. The channel was on running a live news broadcast straight from New York or really from Metro Forest near the city. A meteor landed somewhere in the forest, except that it isn't a meteor." Loana arched a brow. "It's a spaceship and guess who's in it?" No answer was necessary. "The spaceship disguised as a rock, is too heavy for any machine from Earth to pick up so it resides where it landed. My plan is simple. We run in and run out with Martian Manhunter."

Loana straightened her back. "That's not so simple. What about all the things that are going to happen in between? You can't honestly believe there won't be some kind of security there. And then there's the possibility that the Martian won't even trust us."

"Well as far as I know," Bruce stood up, "they haven't been able to cut through the exterior and I think that when somebody is freed from a long confinement then that certain somebody usually shows gratitude to their saviors."

"Wait," Loana said standing up to a walking away Bruce. "I have one more question for you."

"What is it?" Bruce turned his head around in common courtesy.

"What is your current stand with Diana and Wally?"

Next Day—Gaius Manor—Living Room

"Are you sure about this?" Diana asked concernedly.

"Yes," Bruce was very straightforward. "We have to at least try."

"But what about Wally?" Shayera asked. "We can't risk him getting hurt again."

"Yah, maybe we should leave him here," John proposed.

"No I want to go," Wally pouted.

Ignoring Wally, Bruce said, "He's coming with us. Once we leave the manor we are not coming back until this is all over." They had already discussed this and it was getting on Bruce's nerves to repeat it again. He gave a look of exasperation to Clark. The Boy Scout, as Loana put it, was sort of the mediator among the team.

"Don't worry," Clark spoke catching Bruce's hint, "Wally will not leave my side. I'll protect him."

"See there you have it," Loana said, "the bullet proof human has Wally's back."

Standing up, Bruce said, "Move out."

"Martian Manhunter here we come," Wally threw his hands up.

**A/N This chapter was unfortunately cut short. I had planned for a whole other scene to be included but I'll just have to add it to the next one or make an extra chapter. I can't be absolutely sure but for now I'm going to say there are only five chapters left, maybe six if I need the extra one to cover what I had originally planned for there to be in this one. Unfortunately, I am going back to school starting tomorrow and updates will take longer to post. That does not mean, however, that I am abandoning this story just that it will take longer to plan out the rest of the chapters and get them up. So next update, probably, won't be up until Friday; maybe later or sooner if you're lucky. Next chapter will cover a bit of Martian Manhunter and Diana's mother. Stay with me and give me your feedback. **


	16. Soul Exchange

**Chapter 16 (Soul Exchange)**

**A/N Sorry for taking so long to update but I hope this chapter makes up for it. Basically, the chapter is covering something about Martian Manhunter and Diana's mother. From there it leads to something to do with the Amazons but that'll probably be the next chapter. So read and enjoy. **

Three days passed since they arrived at New York. Three days passed since Bruce told them the plan. They should have already freed Martian Manhunter and have left the city but something…someone showed up. President Thorul arrived at New York for the unveiling of a new life species straight from Mars. It really should have occurred to them that Thorul was bound to show up but no one really could have known because the man appeared to be the most random person in the world. And the smartest too, he seemed to know what they were planning even before it happened. Diana thought back to her conversation with the man. 'This has all happened before' kept repeating itself in her head. She couldn't keep his voice out of her head and it was beginning to drive her crazy. Was it possible that it would end the same as the first time? No it couldn't. They were different now but they were still not as old or experienced as last time. And once again they found themselves without the guidance of the adults.

Bruce had to make up a new plan on the spot because the unveiling was tonight. The plan wasn't perfect but if nothing went wrong, it would work. It however included some of them blowing their cover but they were sure that Thorul knew they were here anyways so it really didn't matter. The plan was simple. Separate into three groups: alpha, beta, and gamma. Alpha team was the one that would be breaking the Martian out of the spacecraft, which consisted of Clark and Diana. Their super strength would be the only thing to crack that thing open. Beta team would stick close to Alpha and watch their backs. That team was made up of John and Shayera. Lastly, there was gamma the team that would be the distraction. They would be hidden within the press and the roaring crowds. Their job was to grab Thorul's attention and keep it away from the alien for as long as possible. That team consisted of Bruce, Loana, and Wally. In all honesty, they had the simplest but most dangerous part. All they had to do was make sure Thorul saw them and keep it that way. They knew he wouldn't openly fire on a crowd or cause a huge commotion over a group of teens so while the guests were still present, they would be safe. It was what came afterwards that concerned them. The plan only got them so far but what would they do after they released Manhunter. Would he cooperate? How would Thorul react? It's very possible that he could send his police after them after they released the Martian. Then of course there is still Shadow. What would she do? Diana couldn't bear the thought of hurting her own blood but she couldn't say the same about Bruce. He was just as unpredictable as Thorul. If Diana didn't know any better, she'd say they were related. Maybe not blood related but still related.

Diana stood up from her bed and walked to the balcony of the hotel they were staying at. She and Bruce had paid for all the rooms with their credit cards. There was no point in hiding anymore. It was all going to end eventually and the sooner the better. The outcome of the oncoming war didn't matter in terms of perspective. What really mattered was that everyone knew the lie they had been living in all these years. This war if nothing else secured the fact that everybody would become aware of who Thorul was and what he had been hiding all these years. Diana just couldn't shake what made Thorul think of her as the hardest to kill. From what she read in the comics, apparently she was the last to die but that could have very well just been a coincidence. Yet, it might be something else. If she was the hardest to kill, then she well knew that Thorul would target her first. It was the only logical choice for him in all reality.

Taking a deep breath, Diana looked away from the balcony and headed towards her closet. She took out her pair of black leather boots and put them on, slipping a dagger into one of them. She grabbed her black leather jacket and threw it on covering her gauntlets. Sighing, she walked up to the full body mirror across the bed. Satisfied with her complete black outfit, Diana headed to the lobby to meet up with the others.

As she expected, they were all there waiting for her. Everyone was dressed in similar black outfits except for Bruce, Wally, and Loana who were dressed for the occasion. Loana had on a pass around her neck, which Diana assumed was the ticket in. She took a closer look at Wally and noticed that his roots were already turning red. It must have been his super everything that affected his hair growth. He, however, still had enough black hair to look like Bruce but was no longer wearing the blue eye contacts. Looking Wally over one last time, Diana did a double take…Wally was holding Bruce's hand. When did this happen? And why was Bruce letting it happen? Oh Diana would have to get details later but for now she just let a smile crawl its way onto her face.

Loana walked up to her. "Are you ready?" she asked. Diana nodded and Loana walked back to Clark's side. Bruce practically dragging Wally along walked up to Diana and handed her an earpiece.

"Here," he said placing it in her hand. "We're going to have to keep contact with each other this time. We can't have another accident happen again." At the last part, Diana noticed Bruce's grip tighten around Wally's hand and the boy give a small whimper. Wally tried to pull his hand away from Bruce but he wouldn't budge. In fact, it looked like the harder Wally tried to let go, the harder Bruce's grip became. For a normal human, Diana knew, Bruce was unnaturally strong. Too bad for him she could still kick his butt.

"Let's go," Clark said gesturing for the exit. Diana walked up to him and they flew into the night sky. This mission would be traveled in the separate groups.

"Come on," Shayera said to John. She tugged him towards the exit and picked him up bridal style. Then she flew with him into the night sky following Clark and Diana. John grunted and Shayera added, "You know I wouldn't have to carry you if you would activate your powers?"

"You know I can't," John growled, arms crossed across his chest.

"I know," Shayera smiled. "So until then I guess you'll just have to get used to it."

Bruce watched the others leave before calling a taxi for him, Wally, and Loana. They wouldn't be presenting themselves as anyone else tonight. Today they were just themselves. Hopefully all would go fine. Bruce tried to wave down a taxi but it didn't even seem to notice him.

Loana giggled at Bruce's pathetic attempt to stop a taxi. "You aren't going to stop one like that," she said stepping forward. "Watch and learn, pretty boy." Loana raising a hand to her lips, whistled at her loudest and immediately all traffic stopped. Five taxis parked in front of the hotel. She opened a door and said, "After you."

Bruce scowled at her and led a laughing Wally inside. Wally ended up taking the window seat leaving Bruce to sit in the middle. He couldn't be any more uncomfortable.

Metro Forest—Same Time—Inside The President's Limousine 

Thorul sat patiently in his seat. Most of the press was already here but he couldn't exit the vehicle just right away. The Secret Service, of course, had to take safety precautions. They were walking among the invited guests looking for anything suspicious. If only they knew that Thorul was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He was trained by the best after all but he still needed to maintain his real identity a secret but the time would come soon that he would have to reveal it. Hopefully by that time it wouldn't matter for two reasons: the teens would be dead and the country in the palm of his hand. A war was coming, he knew. It was planned from the very beginning, almost like as if it were written in stone somewhere. He remembered forty years ago Lois Lane had somehow managed to gather a group of very different people to perform a very risky task. Not everyone had the audacity to call out the Gods, but Lois did. It was a good thing that Thorul had kept a close eye on anyone that had had some sort of connection to members of the Justice League. Those people proved to be equally if not even more dangerous. They were willing to risk everything to get things back to the way they used to be but they didn't see the bigger picture. Only Thorul could see that and in time they would too but it would be exceedingly late by then for most of them.

At Thorul's side sat Renegade who was currently in the guise of his original self, Dick Grayson. To keep matters straight, Thorul obliged Dick to dress in a Secret Service uniform. It was getting harder to control his zombie by each passing day. Dick was slowly regaining some sort of control over himself as time passed. Technically, Thorul knew, he was still dead and he hoped to keep it that way until it was time to put him in the cryogenic chamber again. He still remembered the day his _pet_ had attacked the Wayne Manor. Physically, he himself wasn't there but he recalled the day as if he had been. Dick had tried to be heroic and save the other two. His good intentions ended up killing him almost instantly. Thorul had considered just leaving the body to rot but an idea had occurred to him. Why let talent go to waste when he could put it to good use. Using the same procedure that kept him alive for all these years, Thorul brought Dick back to life. He, unquestionably, made some minor altercations when he brought him back. He couldn't have him up and attacking him at first sight so Thorul had his best scientists rewire his brain in the process. It was only temporarily and he knew time was running out but if all went as planned then it would be just enough time. He had considered doing the same to Barbara but her body was in far too bad of condition. If Dick was a monster, than she would have been something that had crawled its way out of hell.

The only thing that Thorul hadn't expected from that night years ago was that there was another. He had been aware that Dick had adopted a child but not that he had trained him, hence another bat. At first Thorul had paid no attention to that certain child but when he found out that he was part of Lois' group action had to be taken. Tim Drake-Grayson the billionaire playboy was practically funding Lois' group. And Thorul knew that even though money didn't get you everything…it sure as hell made everything easier to obtain. He tracked the man's location to Paris, France a place that reeked of a certain cat. Selina Kyle was not one to underestimate. She was clever, cunning, and cryptic… the three big C's. Only a few people managed to fall into that category and they really should not be overlooked. Thorul couldn't help smiling at that thought that he managed to get two of his major adversaries in his control. Only three left: Shadow, Bruce, and Diana. Shadow an adversary, for being lethal and potentially crazy, Bruce because of his superior intellect, and Diana for a special reason that he was sure not even she knew. Once he got rid of those three, the rest would topple like dominos. Originally, he had planned to take out Wally, the conscious of the team but he was absolutely sure that didn't work. And now that they were aware of his attempt, he had to make a change in his plans.

"Master," Dick spoke, expressionlessly. "Are you sure that they will present themselves tonight?" Thorul almost flinched at Dick's question. Not because it caught him off guard but because questioning was a sign of free will and control. Time was running low for him.

Doing his best to seem unruffled, Thorul cleared his mind of his memories and answered, "I am positive they will show. The stakes are high tonight."

"But," Dick stuttered making Thorul heat up. This man was making him nervous. The more questions or statements he made, the sooner his memories would come back to him. "But you do not plan on killing them tonight?"

"No," Thorul said plainly, "today they learn the price of what happened years ago." He paused taking a moment to ask himself why he was explaining this to a dead man. Deciding it would do him no harm at the moment, he continued. "Once they know what the consequences of this upcoming predicament is, then they will refuse to save the Martian. It is as simple as that."

"And when that happens," Dick's eyes blinked almost furiously, "what will you do with the Martian?"

Thorul cocked his head. He had not given that thought. "I think I will hold him until his usefulness is depleted and then…I will burn him." Satisfied with his response, Thorul smirked. Before he got the chance to continue his conversation, a Secret Service guard tapped on his window. It was the all clear sign. Thorul fixed his tie, how he hated those things and stepped out of the limo with a plastered smile on his face for the cameras. From the corner of his eye, he saw two figures fly behind the setup stage followed by another pair. Perfect timing, he thought.

Behind the Stage—Same Time 

Diana and Clark landed behind the stage. John and Shayera followed shortly. Diana took a quick look around. They were surrounded by trees on all sides, plenty of space to hide if anything went wrong.

"So where is this spaceship?" Shayera asked.

"Um let me ask," Diana said placing a finger to her earpiece. "Diana to Loana," she spoke clearly.

"Loana here," a voice replied through the gadget. "Have you guys arrived?"

"Yes," Diana replied, taking calm breathes. This whole operation was nerve breaking. "We need to know exactly where the spacecraft is located."

"Give me a sec," Loana said. For a minute, the connection went silent and Diana figured Loana was asking Bruce where it was at. "Ok," Loana's voiced returned, "Bruce says it is directly under the stage but it's rigged to lift up with the push of a button so you only have a limited amount of time to break it open and get out of there."

"Understood," Diana nodded to herself. She cut the connection and faced her friends. "Clark, it's underground, we are going to have get it somehow."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Clark said popping his knuckles.

"What do we do?" John asked.

"You two stay here and keep watch," Diana answered. "Warn us if anything happens." With that she turned to Clark who started swirling into some form of drill. She wondered if she could do that. Probably not, she thought, well maybe or at least hopefully. Clark obviously had some abilities that surpassed her but from what she knew at the moment, she could still kick his butt in a fight. Skill surpassed brute strength and Diana had both.

Same Time—In the Audience

Bruce, Loana, and Wally exited the cab. Bruce paid the chauffer and gave him a nice tip. It was customary for him to give to those who had less. Still holding Wally's hand, Bruce led the three of them to the audience. They needed to get up front where Thorul would spot them. Wally started fidgeting in his grip, obviously wanting to run around. "Wally," Bruce said through gritted teeth, "calm down."

"But I wanna run," Wally complained.

"Just let him go," Loana spoke.

"No," Bruce was quick to answer. He couldn't let anything happen to Wally again. Last time he wasn't paying attention and Wally ended up taking a bullet rightfully meant for him. That would haunt him forever. If Wally had died at his expense, then Bruce didn't even want to think about what he would do. He knew that crossing a line of morality made it far too easy to just keep repeating it. Killing only led to more killing and that was something Bruce would never do unprovoked.

"There he is," Loana pointed to the stage. Thorul was standing next to the host of this scientific breakthrough. The host currently speaking to the audience was answering questions to several reporters. Loana couldn't help but feel like she should ask questions. It was a sort of force of habit but she wasn't able to unless it was absolutely necessary. Slowly, they started pushing themselves through the crowd to get closer to the stage.

Bruce pressed his finger to his earpiece. "Diana," he spoke clearly not looking away from Thorul, "how are you guys doing?"

"Bad," he heard Diana reply. "The metal is harder than we assumed. We couldn't break through it by simply hitting it so Clark is using his heat vision, but we still need time."

"How much time?" Bruce asked. Thorul and he made eye contact. It was starting. The spark that ignited the war. From that moment on everything was free game.

"A lot," Diana replied. "It's really thick-" She cut off.

"Diana?" Bruce asked looking away from Thorul who was beginning to take the stage.

"He's in my head," Diana whispered. "I can feel his thoughts."

"What?" Bruce asked. "Who's in your head?"

For a moment, all Bruce could hear was Diana's heavy breathing. What was happening? Diana never took heavy breaths, not even when they were running. She was always in control. It had been trained into her to maintain her body stable in any given situation.

"The Martian," Diana spoke louder this time. "Bruce he's in pain. I can feel it. He says it's hot in there and the heat is hurting him. We need to get him out."

"Do what you have to do," Bruce spoke. "We'll stall as long as we can." The transmission cut. Bruce turned to face the eager reporter next to him. "Loana ask questions." She smirked.

Same Time—NovaCity Cemetery

Shadow, currently in her Angel Kane alias, pushed open the old rusty bars of the front gate. The graveyard had not changed much since the last time she visited and that was a long time ago. It was still dead. The plants crumbling underneath their own weight, the grass a sick yellow, and the tombstones old and cracking. It was sad but what else was a place set aside for the dead supposed to be like.

She walked around each tombstone, careful not to step on the flat ones. It was considered to be rude to do so and not even Shadow would disrespect the dead. She clutched at her black coat, holding it tight. It wasn't cold, only a bit chilly. Walking past several dead trees and around a couple large tombstones, Angel finally reached the little hill she remembered. It stood at aside from all the other graves and only three tombstones were on it. They were the only ones that seemed unharmed. If anything they had little to no damage on them. Someone kind must have known these people and taken the liberty to keep them intact all these years. She couldn't imagine who since these people died a long time ago. Well two longer ago than the other.

The tombstones although big were simple. The main two read Thomas Wayne and Martha Kane Wayne. Angel had run into this place shortly after escaping from Cadmus. She needed a name and took the maiden of Martha, Kane. It became almost symbolic in her life. Not so much that she took the name but that she gave it to herself. At Cadmus she never had a name. She wasn't considered a human but a project so she didn't get the privilege of having a name. Because that was what a name was—a privilege. Most people were given their name by someone else. They didn't get to choose it and really that made it a whole lot easier than to give it to yourself because when you're given your name, you are bestowed with an identity from someone else who already has one. Shadow didn't get that luxury. She had to choose her own name. It wasn't the same. The feeling was empty. It wasn't like when someone gives you something and you feel a warm feeling of affection in your stomach. It was cold and dark. Angel, the name she claimed, was chosen for a reason. It balanced out that pain. An angel a being of good and endless love equalized the void she felt.

Angel remembered falling tired in front of these graves. She had escaped Cadmus and had been on the run from the police for days. She had run what seemed nonstop from city to city until she reached here. It was then that she realized that she didn't have a name…an identity to go by. She had slept on the thought. It had rained over that night but in the morning the rained had seemed to wash her thoughts. It cleared her head and she awoke to the names. She became intrigued with them immediately especially with female one. She liked the way it sounded when spoken fluently. She sat in front of the tombstones all morning thinking of a name. Then it occurred to her to take on the name Kane but it wouldn't fit as a first name…at least not for a girl. So being as curious as she was, she let her eyes wander and look at her surroundings. Her eyes stopped at the statue of an angel. She didn't know anything about religion but that didn't stop her from noticing the true beauty the female saint had. She walked up to it and looked for a name. There was none. It was then decided that she would go by Angel Kane.

Angel came out of her thoughts at the feeling of a drop of rain on her face. She let it slide just like she remembered letting it the first time she was here. It brought a small yet sad smile to her face. It was just like the first time except that this time it didn't mark the end of a battle, it marked the beginning of a new one. It was time to take a stand. Her plan needed to be put into effect. If Thorul wouldn't help her then she would bring upon his demise. It was the only fair and possibly right thing to do. Only God knew how many people that man had killed.

Slipping a rose from her sleeve, Angel knelt down in front of the tombstones and placed it in front of them. She stood up but caught a glimpse of the third tombstone and knelt back down. She had never really paid attention to this one. It seemed out of place. Clearing off some of the dust, Angel read the name and epitaph.

**Jason Todd**

**Born a lone boy. Died a son, brother, and friend. The world may forget him but his memory shall preserve forever in the hearts of his family. **

He was only fifteen at the time of his death, Angel knew. She wondered what could have caused his untimely demise and what he had to do with the Wayne family. She had tried researching them before but always came up empty handed. Then again so did everyone else from that time period. For some reason though, Angel couldn't help but kneel down to his grave and say, "I'll save you this time."

Metro Forest—Thirty Minutes Later

The speech was over. Loana had stalled all she could. Thorul was heading towards the back. They had to do something. Diana and Clark still needed more time. Bruce could feel his temperature rising. He needed to think of something quick. Wally started tugging on his arm. Apparently the kid knew what was happening and it wasn't good. If Thorul caught Diana and Clark tampering with government property then he could kill them right on the spot. And that was probably what he was planning this whole time. The man during the interview had remained unnaturally calm that it was nerve bunching.

"Bruce," Loana shook his shoulder nervously, "he's going back. What do we do?"

Bruce thought for a moment. He ran through the most logical solutions in his head but chose one that occurred to him by instinct. He let go of Wally's hand and said, "Run." The boy seemed to understand.

"What?" Loana gave him a confused look. She tried to stop Wally but he was gone in the blink of an eye. "What are you doing?" Loana was starting to go frantic. She grabbed Bruce by his shoulders and shook him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Bruce pushed her arms away and grabbed her by the chin. He moved her head in the direction of a blur and panicking people. "We need to start a commotion. It's our best distraction." He grabbed her by the wrist and led her onstage. "Come on we need to stop him." He pulled out his grappling hook and aimed it for a bar. Loana instantly clung onto Bruce's chest when they soared above the crowd of people. It felt very different than when Clark carried her. Clark felt safer. Bruce felt like you were at risk of dying. Then again the man did live on the edge so it fit.

Bruce landed on the stage without making any more than a swish noise. He had been practicing his stealth. Loana let go of him immediately and felt glad to be on her own two feet. "What about Wally?" she asked trying to regain her usual cool.

"Don't worry about him," Bruce started walking towards the back. "I told John and Shayera to help him out. They'll protect him." Not like he can't protect himself, he didn't add but still thought and inwardly smiled.

"What? When?" Loana shook her head. She did not hear Bruce call them. So either she was delusional or he was a damn liar.

"When you were panicking," Bruce said not missing a beat. "I thought you were used to flying. I guess not huh?"

Loana decided to ignore the obvious sarcasm and started speed walking ahead of him. "Where do you thing he went?" Loana asked noticing that the inside of the stage was a lot bigger than what the outside left one to think.

"I'm right here," Thorul said stepping out of the shadows. He was alone or being protected by hidden guards. It made no difference; the man was dangerous enough with or without extra men helping him. Bruce immediately noticed something different about him. His eyes were green now, a blue green that struck him as very familiar. Where had he seen that color of eyes before? "What?" Thorul continued. "Did I leave you speechless or are you just not going to try to stall me anymore? I'm hurt really. I might just call my guards."

"No," Loana said a little too loudly.

"Well there's a first," Thorul took a step forward. "I don't believe we've met." He took another step forward and Bruce shifted his hand towards a batarang. He grabbed it, prepared to strike at a moment's notice. "I'm President Joseph Thorul." He extended his hand towards Loana.

Loana looked at it like it was the most wretched thing in the world and it most likely was. Who knew how much blood this man had on his hands? "Loana Lange," she decided to stall since Bruce was obviously going to stay quiet. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said through gritted teeth. How it hurt to lie.

"The pleasure is all mine," Thorul grabbed her hand and placed a small kiss on it. "I have been meaning to tell you all something very important."

"And what would that be?" Loana didn't really want to know but Bruce was not exactly helping her at the moment. He was frozen, staring Thorul down but Thorul didn't even seem fazed.

"It's about your friends," Thorul smiled.

"What friends?" Loana asked trying not to single any of them out. Thorul chuckled and Loana felt obliged to do the same.

"Must we pretend," Thorul spoke. He cleared his throat and took a step back. "It's about all of them really. The ones here now and the ones currently in my custody."

"I don't understand," Loana really didn't.

"You will," Thorul assured. "For you see your friends' reincarnation didn't come without a price."

"What?" Bruce came out of his frozen state.

Thorul smiled knowing he got his attention. "What you heard Mr. Gaius. The gods don't just go around returning lives without something sort of payment. We all know they have been recognized to be more selfish than that. Generosity is not one of their main traits, let's put it like that. So now here's the funny part." He stopped.

"Don't stop," Bruce ordered.

"I will stop as I please, Bruce," Thorul snapped. "I see you haven't lost the attitude." He purposely paused again. "Where was I? Oh that's right, I was about to tell you what Lois and her group of friends had to do to bring you kids back. I'm sure you've made guesses to it but never really devoted actual time to it since what happened well happened. Am I wrong?" No answer. "Didn't think so."

"Get to the point," Bruce spoke. He was beginning to lose his patience but couldn't afford to at a moment like this.

Thorul gave him a killer glare but finally gave a straight statement. "The moment your friends free the Martian is the moment your other friends' souls, the ones in my custody, are taken away by the gods." Bruce's eyes went wide. As did Loana's. "It was a soul exchange deal. The price to replace seven souls was seven souls. It's just the way it works. And as soon as you guys reunite with the last member of your little group, the others will go bye-bye."

"You're lying," Loana declared. She turned to Bruce. "Bruce he's obviously lying."

"If you don't believe me it's not my problem," Thorul stated. "I'm just warning you of the consequences. We wouldn't want another seven deaths on our conscious now would we Bruce?"

Loana grabbed Bruce's hand and pulled him towards her. "Bruce, don't listen to him. He's a liar and is just trying to stop us."

"No," Bruce spoke. He knew Thorul wasn't lying. He could see it in his eyes. They spoke the truth. "He's not lying." At that moment, he pushed Loana out of the way of an oncoming bullet. Thorul had reached for a gun in his moment of distraction. The bullet just barely scraped the side of his arm. "Run!" Bruce yelled to Loana. He grabbed a batarang and threw it at Thorul. It knocked the gun out of his hand but did nothing to prevent him from picking it back up.

Loana sprang to her feet and started running next to Bruce. "Diana, Clark, come in!" Bruce yelled into his earpiece.

"Diana here," he heard. "What's happening?" Her tone of voice gave away her obvious worry.

"Get out of there right now!" Bruce ordered. "It's a trap!" he lied, but it wasn't a complete lie.

Diana knew not to question Bruce and complied. "Ok," she answered and he heard her call out Clark and then the connection broke.

"I called Shayera already," Loana said as they jumped off the stage. Bruce grabbed her and swung over on his grappling hook to a tree a safe distance away. "She and John are getting Wally to a safe distance north of here. She said Clark told them Diana and he are on their way too."

"Good," Bruce mumbled. "Now all we need to do is get out of—"

Renegade jumped out of a nearby tree and landed in front of Bruce and Loana with Eskrima sticks in his hands. Knowing they couldn't turn back and that he was blocking their only way out, they had no choice but to stand and fight.

"Well this guy's new," Loana said taking a step back. "What happened to Shadow? Did she quit? Are you her replacement?" In times of trouble, Loana resorted to questioning as her defense but this guy was not answering.

Instead of answering, Renegade jumped at her with the full intention of killing her. Bruce barely managed to push her out of the way. "Run!" he yelled at her. She did not do so.

"I'm not leaving you," she said getting up. Renegade went at her again but Bruce kicked his feet out from under him dropping him to the ground. Before Renegade could react, Bruce was on him pinning him down.

"Run!" he repeated.

Loana was about to, when she saw Renegade kick Bruce off of him and push a button on the bottom of the Eskrima sticks. From both ends, five inch blades appeared. Almost in an instant, the positions were reversed. Bruce was the floor with Renegade on top of him. He was trying to block the swipes Renegade was throwing but without access to his utility belt, currently blocked to access by his attacker's lower back, there wasn't much he could do.

Bruce felt the cut Renegade managed to get across his face. It stung, which could only mean there was some sort of sedative or worse poison on it. He really hoped it was the former. His vision started to go blurry and his body limp but that didn't stop him from seeing Renegade clasp his hands together connecting the Eskrima sticks and go for the killing blow. Bruce mustering all his strength caught his hands just millimeters before they stabbed into his chest. Renegade, being clearly stronger, pushed down with a force that couldn't be human. Slowly, the blades started to cut through Bruce's shirt and then skin.

Loana ran a million thoughts through her head. Renegade was in the process of killing Bruce. Already, a decent sized puddle of blood was forming on Bruce's chest. She couldn't just go up to the man unarmed. He'd kill her in an instant and then she'd be of no use. And she had the most important part of this war. She was the one who regardless of what happened was supposed to live. It was her duty to let the world know of her super powered friends.

Bruce turned his head slightly and still saw Loana standing there with fear painted all over her face. She couldn't die. Not when she was still needed. Whatever toxin the blade had been coated in started taking affect at a quicker pace. Bruce was feeling weak, nimble, and he knew he didn't have much more time before his arms gave in and his attacker killed him. "Loana get out of here!" he yelled and finally she complied. Bruce saw her from the corner of his eye disappear into the forest. He could finally give in. He always knew he'd die, just not like this. Selfishly, he thought he'd have a more heroic death…something that he'd be remembered for but that wasn't the case. Closing his eyes, he decided to just give in.

Relaxing his hands, Bruce started to feel the pressure build up on his chest. He was going to die from a knife. It wasn't the most indignant way to go but it didn't feel like it was meant to be. At least he wasn't dying from a bullet. He really hated guns. Dropping his hands to the side and accepting his fate, Bruce heard Loana yell out his name.

"Bruce!" Loana yelled hitting Renegade in the head with a log she found. The man rolled over to his side.

Bruce's eyes shot open and he scanned his surroundings. In front of him stood Loana, she was extending a helping hand to him. He accepted it and stood to his feet. Next to his legs lied Renegade slowly regaining consciousness.

Loana raised the log above her head ready to put the man out of his misery. She swung for his head but Bruce caught the log before it made impact. "No," he said hazily. "We…don't do that." He let go of the log and raised a hand to his forehead. The blood loss combined with the sedative, he figured, was making it hard to think straight. He shook his head slightly before adding, "Let's go. He'll be getting up soon and we don't want to be here when he does."

"Fine," Loana said, dropping the log. She noticed Bruce was applying pressure to his wound with one arm and using the other to pinch the bridge of his nose. He did not look so good which was saying something since he was probably the most handsome male on the team…next to Clark of course. She grabbed his hand, knowing he was in a dizzy state and led the way. She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard him mumble out the word _thanks_.

Diana paced back and forth from where she stood. Bruce and Loana had not made it to the rendezvous point yet. They had decided that if something were to go wrong to head north in the direction of the ruins of the city that used to stand here. It was where the forest stood thickest and their best place of hiding. She was so caught up in her thinking, that she didn't notice when Shayera placed a hand on her shoulder. Shocked, she almost dropped kicked her by instinct. If it wasn't for the familiar face, she probably would have.

"They'll be here," Shayera reassured.

Not a moment later, Clark stood up from the boulder he was sitting at and looked south of his position. "They're here!" he yelled enthusiastically. He too had been worried but more for Loana then Bruce. He could protect himself but Loana couldn't. The stubborn girl had refused to learn how to fight.

Diana turned to see Loana walking towards them with a barely conscious Bruce leaning on her. She without thinking ran towards them and took Bruce off of Loana. She hugged him tightly but that proved to be a mistake when he let out a groan of pain. Running her eyes across his body, she came to a halt at the puddle of dried blood on his chest. "What happened?" she asked…no demanded to know.

"I'm fine," Bruce managed to say.

Loana rolled her eyes and said, "No he's not, he just took a knife to the chest by some guy?"

"What guy?" Clark was at their side in instant. He helped carry Bruce to the boulder he was just at.

"I don't know," Loana admitted. "He didn't look familiar. I think he's Shadow's replacement though."

"Now's not the time to worry about some guy," Diana pushed the subject away. "We need to get the bleeding to stop."

"Bleeding?" Wally asked coming out of nowhere. "Who's bleeding?" He started walking towards the group of people surround a boulder but was stopped by John.

"No one hotshot," he said smiling, rubbing the back of his neck.

"But she just said," Wally pointed at Diana.

"That Bruce is bleeding," a new voice was heard. Everyone turned in the direction of it. From behind a tree, a blond haired woman dressed in white robes stepped out into their view. "It's best not to keep these things from the child. It would only make him feel worse if Bruce dies and he learns you all kept it from him."

"Mother," Diana said, eyes wide open. She couldn't believe it. Her mother was standing right in front of her. For a moment, Diana completely forgot about Bruce and jumped to embrace her mother. "Mother," Diana repeated, tears in her eyes. "How did you get here?"

"Diana," the woman replied embracing her daughter. "How I've missed you, but now is not the time. Explanations can come later. Right now your friend requires medical assistance. We need to get going."

Diana turned to look at Bruce who was now unconscious in Clark's arms. "Mother," Diana continued. "We don't know where to go. Bruce was the one with all the plans. We're lost. We have no means of transportation."

"That's where you are wrong, my dear. Our form of transportation is right here."

"Where?" Shayera asked looking around. "I don't see anything."

"Me either," John added.

"Follow me children," she continued. She led them to a small clearing and stood in front of what appeared to be nothing.

"So now what?" John asked.

"Now, young man, we enter."

"Enter what?" Loana asked. "There's nothing there."

"Do not let your eyes deceive you, children."

Clark, knowing he had the best vision, squint his eyes and saw nothing. "I don't see anything," he said, shifting Bruce's weight a little bit to prevent him from falling.

Before anyone could speak another word what seemed to be a staircase leading into a chamber appeared.

"The invisible jet," Diana said in awe, slightly remembering it from before.

"Yes my dear," her mother praised. "Everyone in, there is medical equipment inside."

"Cool," Wally said gleefully. He ran up the opening onto the pilot's seat. "I want to drive," they heard him yell all the way from the outside.

They stepped inside and Clark immediately took Bruce to the medical section of the jet. It wasn't hard to fine, given that it had a labeled door. Shayera and John took seats upfront and Loana followed Clark into the back.

Diana eyed her mother from head to toe, noticing the changes she had apparently gone through. "Mother," Diana cleared her throat.

"Yes Diana?"

"You seem different. What happened to you?" Her mother stood still at the question. She looked like she was fighting back a memory…no a nightmare. But her eyes said it all. She was going to tell her daughter who she really was. She was going to tell her what happened to her and what was going to happen to them.

"Diana," her mother looked her softly in the eyes. "I have been reborn."

**A/N So that's the new chapter. Sorry for the delay but school is keeping me occupied. But I haven't abandoned the story, so that's good…I guess. I hope you guys have new guesses at who Thorul is. I think with what I've given you, it has become pretty obvious who he is. Now next chapter will revolve around the Amazons. Yes I'm going back to them. It will tell the story of what happened to Diana's mother and hopefully lead to their return to Themyscira. Also, it will feature a scene with Shadow's new objective. Ok now as for Dick Grayson, he is technically dead but has been revived into a sort of in between state. His resurrection shall become clear when I reveal to you guys how Thorul has maintained his youth all these years. So now I have a request for you guys. If there are any lines you guys would like to hear one of the characters say then message me them and I'll put them in as best I can. I would like it if the words are really catchy…something that'll catch the rest of the readers' attention. So hope you guys enjoyed and please review. **


	17. Brinkmanship

**Chapter 17 (Brinkmanship)**

**A/N Hey everyone I'm back. So here's a new chapter. It's a little rushed but I don't exactly have time so we'll all just have to deal with it. So basically, this marks the beginning of the war hence the name brinkmanship (the policy of pushing a dangerous situation to the brink of disaster, to the limits of safety). It deals with the Amazons and a little bit of Shadow but the Amazons will not be presented until next chapter. So read, review, and enjoy. Oh and I know I haven't really gotten to it but thank all of you who have reviewed, faved, or followed this story. **

Diana couldn't stop hearing the unnerving sound of the heart monitor. It had been a day and Bruce has still not woken up. Her mother, Helena, has explained to them where they are going. Apparently, they have been away from home too long and are heading to reclaim Themyscira from Thorul's forces. But at the moment that is the least of Diana's troubles. Bruce had almost died. Her Bruce almost selfishly left her alone in this world. She could just slap him but that would probably kill him right now. If it wasn't for her mother, then he probably would have died. Who would have known Helena Spencer knew anything about medicine? Nobody, not even Diana recognizes her own mother anymore. She's different. Her attitude is more distant, her voice sports a distinct dialect, and her fashion sense dates back a few centuries. Her mother is not the same person anymore. She's no longer the carefree, spontaneous, or up to date with the latest fashion sense. She'd have to ask her about that.

Bruce groaned, and Diana immediately ran to his side but he's still has not woken up. His breathing started to speed up and Diana figured he is having a nightmare. What could he be dreaming about? She'd probably never know. Bruce liked to keep everything to himself. It doesn't matter though, as long as he wakes up.

"Oh Bruce," she said sitting on the stool next to his bed. The door is closed and everyone else is in the main cabin. They know not to bother Diana when she's in here. She had made that perfectly clear yesterday. Not even Wally, whose curiosity usually gets the best of him, stays away. "You just had to go off and get yourself hurt." She let out a small, sad chuckle. "Damn you for that." She sighed. "I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I should have never tried to pressure you into a relationship with me." Subconsciously, she started stroking his hair. His forehead was wet from sweat but her touch made him calm down. "But I promise I won't anymore even though what I feel will never change." She leaned in forward and kissed him gently on the forehead.

"Diana," a voice said and startled Diana turned to face her mother.

"Mother," Diana said.

"Don't worry Diana," Helena spoke. "He will come around this time. Not everything will end the same."

"What do you mean?" Diana asked getting up.

Helena walked up to her daughter, held up her chin, and said, "Love. If nothing else this boy will learn to love. It has been written in stone. You just have to be patient, our destinies are upon us."

"Mother," Diana said even more confused, not about the love part but the whole destiny thing. "How do you know this? What happened to you in that prison? You're no longer the same person."

Helena sighed and said, "Nothing gets past you my daughter does it?" It's not a question. "It's like I said I was reborn."

"What does that mean?" Diana raised her voice a bit, demanding to know. "I don't understand what has happened to you. Or what this whole destiny thing is." She stops for a minute, shaking her head. "Bruce knows something. Loana knows that same thing but she refuses to say. So please, mother, _enlighten_ me."

Haven decided to speak the truth Helena said, "This will not be easy to take in Diana. Are you sure you want to hear it?" Diana nodded, not having any words to say. "Well, this all starts with your graduation ceremony. That was the last day as my life as Helena Spencer, the ambassador of Wales. Right after I was kidnapped, Thorul had me taken to a prison. It's not known to anybody outside of the government for several reasons, the most important being that it violates the natural human rights. At first they did nothing and just held me there. I had time to think. I thought about us, Diana, about our life. And to be honest, I was disappointed. Not in you, I can assure but in myself. I have not been a good mother to you. I was always busy. I was never there for you, so I made up for it by giving you your freedom. It wasn't until after what happened that I realized that I made the same mistake twice…and what hurts me most is that I'm going to make it again."

"Mother," Diana spoke softly, "what happened?"

"They gave me a modified version of something called Fear Venom…it showed most of us our worst fears. But on me it had a different effect. It brought back memories of my last life as Hippolyta. And now I see things as that person…everything Helena I now remember as if they were dreams."

"So what you're saying," Diana came to a conclusion, "is that you're no longer Helena my mother but Hippolyta."

"Diana I will always be your mother," Helena…no not Helena…Hippolyta said. "I was your mother then and I will be your mother now. A name does not change who I am."

"It's not the name that matters," Diana spoke up. "You're not the same person anymore. You're not the person I know…knew. I don't care if you weren't the best mother before but you were my mother and that's what mattered...Now…" Diana trailed off losing her train of thought. "Now you're a completely different person. Mother," Diana paused to look her mother in the eyes. "You look like something taken out of the ancient Rome." It wasn't meant to be funny but it got Hippolyta to unsuccessfully stifle a laugh.

Hippolyta took her daughters hands in her own and sat down. "Diana look at me," she demanded, her warrior training was getting the best of her. Diana sat in a stool and looked at her mother with eyes that looked like they were about to cry, but no tears came out. Diana was too strong to allow that to happen. "Does this really change anything? Because even if you don't remember you've had this mother before and from what history books, or comics, can tell you turned out just fine."

"No," Diana said leaning into her mother's shoulder. She felt like crying but her dignity did not let her, she just stayed there taking in the moment. "No Mother this changes nothing. I will always love you."

Leaning closer to her daughter and closing her eyes, Hippolyta said, "Oh my sun and stars, without you I have nothing. I will follow you to the end."

Neither noticed, but two icy blue eyes opened to meet the sight of mother and daughter embracing each other.

NovaCity—Same Time 

It stood just feet away from her. Its height was that to impress. The surrounding yard and gate left nothing but impressions. The mansion was built to be remembered. The grass was greener than most yards, the trees taller, and view clearer. Most would think it housed a god but truly it was the cave of a demon…Thorul. Shadow knew from the instant she laid eyes on this place that it belonged to Thorul. Who else would buy such a lavish property to hide away all the ugly of the person buying it? Well many people but not like this…never like this. Only Thorul could exaggerate so much. Everything was made to look out of this world. Shadow figured that as a child he had nothing and to make up for it now he wants everything.

Pathetic really, she knew. Only now did she realize that there's no point in having everything if you have no one to share it with. That's why she was there then. In a way, it was her attempt to set things right. As always, she had a contingency plan and it was time to put it to good use.

Shadow expertly launched herself over the fence landing softer than a feather. Getting through the front door would be easy. It's what waits for her inside that Shadow worried about. Grabbing her whip, Shadow swung for all hidden cameras breaking them immediately. Only her keen eyes could see them, but she knew not to become overconfident. Eventually, Thorul would get a notice that his security has been disabled.

Walking up to the front door, Shadow placed her ear against the wood. All was quiet, absolutely no noise. Just to be sure, without moving her ear, Shadow knocked on the door and waited for the vibration to come back to her. If it sounded and felt the slightest bit different then she knew she wasn't alone but to her fortune it came back the same meaning the house was void of people. Good, she thought.

Taking a step back, Shadow assumed that the door activated some alarm if forced open. So thinking like a true genius she used her pinky claw as a key and flipped the lock open. Too easy, she thought. Pushing the door open, she scanned the room thoroughly before entering. Nothing, maybe she overestimated Thorul's security precautions. No there had to be some sort of security. Thorul had not lived in this mansion since his time in office and she knew that was a long time ago. He had to have left some sort of security. This is where he kept all his records and other important documents. Something had to be waiting for her.

Taking in her surroundings, Shadow vigilantly walked in. Nothing so far, except the expensive red oak floor, wallpaper, and mahogany tables. The place was also gathering in dust, confirming her suspicions that Thorul hadn't been here in years. That eased her nerves slightly. Maybe she was overthinking things, after all Thorul had no idea that she knew where he lived. Nobody did really but everybody really should. It was obvious with what the house being so farfetched and all.

Finally regaining her sense of calm, Shadow strode her way to where she knew the study to be. She had spent the night before memorizing the stolen blueprints of the house. There were no booby traps so far, but that was probably because she hadn't hit the grand prize yet. And just like that, the door to the study was right in front of her. It was the moment of truth. She could go in, face the obstacles she knew awaited her, and take the information she needed or just turn back, walk away, and continue with her already established life. But what is it really a life worth living? Could she do better? Maybe Tim was right and she could change. Now that she thought about it, Tim had been signaling at something. He said, "I know you'll end up doing what's right. _It's in your blood_." It's in your blood, the words meant something.

Eyes widening, Shadow thought, he knows. He knows who my parents are. He knows where I come from, who I truly am. How could I have been so stupid? Why didn't I catch it the first time?

With a new drive, Shadow kicked the door in and jumped into the room fully prepared to take on challenges it brought. Bullets were the first things to emerge from automatic guns. They flew through the air like fire coming from all directions. She ducked and dodged most of them but the guns were designed to follow movement so she had to get clever. Grabbing her whip, Shadow hit most of the bullets out of the air and even made some ricochet off the metal objects in the room and take down one of the guns. It was then that she noticed there was five, one on every corner and one hanging from the ceiling. The one at the far upper left was gone.

Thinking quickly, Shadow noticed that the one hanging off the ceiling turned the most. She used that to her advantage and flipped towards another gun, getting only a few scrapes. The gun hanging off the ceiling destroyed the last the one on the left, leaving only two right ones aside from it. She repeated the same process for the other two and then jumped up with a running start. Quickly, she wrapped her whip around the base of the gun and pulled it off its hinges. It collapsed under its weight but still kept shooting. One lucky bullet managed to hit her shoulder, causing her to groan out in pain. Quickly, using her super strength, she stomped the machine to nothing and then applied pressure to her wound.

The bullet luckily didn't hit anything vital but it was still inside her. So the worst part would be taking it out. But right now she had other things to worry about. The documents were of upmost importance.

Without wasting a moment, she started ripping through file cabinets. She tore open locks, ripped open draws, and dumped all paperwork on the floor. Only when she was sure that everything was on the floor, did she start sorting it. It took her longer than she wanted but she finally had everything she needed. Everything that was needed to defame Thorul: fraud, social security schemes, identity theft, evidence on murders on opposing presidential candidates, and various other things. Now one thing was for sure. This man had been alive for a very long time that was without a doubt. But not even in these files, did she learn the man's true identity. He obviously kept no record of it.

Gathering up her papers, Shadow stood up but not before she noticed one paper that she overlooked. It had fallen underneath the desk and if it wasn't for the edge sticking out then she probably wouldn't have noticed it. Gently, she pulled it out and studied it carefully. It appeared to be part of a set of papers and was obviously the last but after looking around she noticed that none of the others were around. Carefully, she read the few words on it, her eyes widening as she figured the subject of the paper. It was a will and from none other than Bruce Wayne. The name for some reason rang a bell, but Shadow didn't know from where. Smiling, at the text of the paper, Shadow now knew how to bring about the end of Thorul's game. Apparently, this Bruce Wayne had figured out how to end him but didn't live long enough to carry out the task. Thank whatever deity lied out there on the far corners of the universe that Shadow found this paper. She would gladly end the unfinished job.

Almost like as in the movies, Shadow heard the sirens of the police approaching and smiled. They were late as always. She put the sheet of paper along with the others and took off. By the time they came in she would have already disappeared into the shadows.

Three Days Later—Near Themyscira

Shayera looked out the window of the invisible jet into the ocean. These last three days had been exhausting for all of them, especially Shayera. The jet although big, was still small and cramp…if that makes any sense. Diana's mother who they now knew to be called Hippolyta told them what happened to her. Really, in Shayera's opinion, there was no need to tell them her whole story but she guessed it was a trust thing, everything else was. Bruce had already woken up and told them why they had to abandon Martian Manhunter. Apparently, if he, the last member of the Justice League, was reunited with them then the seven souls of the people who had acted as their guardians would be taken away by the gods. Destiny was a real bitch. After all the crap they had each gone through and were still going to go through, it still took more away from them.

It made her think, what had they done to deserve this? When, really they were all just victims of the circumstances. Blowing her bangs out of her face she thought that what was really making them do this. They most certainly didn't have to do it. Why should they do it was a better question. When in all reality, no one even knew they were saving them from a tyrant. No she couldn't think that. Loana would soon enough make sure everyone knew who they were and who Thorul was. Well they would eventually figure out who he was. Well Bruce would because if anybody could he could. And if he couldn't then well they were all screwed anyways, right?

Moving away from the window, Shayera decided to think about more personal matters. It had been just after Bruce woke up that they all decided that they needed to know each other in serious depth. Well Shayera obviously already knew John and Diana, Clark, and Bruce probably knew more about each other than they should. But the two groups didn't really know each other more than just new friends. And well Wally, could never keep his mouth shut, so they knew just about everything about him. So they group huddled in the middle of the jet and started sharing. And one story had stuck above the others to Shayera, Clark's story. He had been the first willing to share.

His story had started with his aunt and uncle, who were still currently in the custody of Thorul. Hippolyta had reassured that they were still alive but probably not in the best of conditions. So anyways he said that he had lived with them for as long as he could remember. That really had not captivated Shayera's attention much. But then he spoke about his parents. He said they were scientists, and she thought wow so were mine. And then he said they left and never came back. Shayera had at first thought it was to be lamented. And finally he said that they had died doing a science experiment. That's when it all clicked in her head. Shayera's parents were also scientists, they had abandoned another child, and most importantly they died doing an experiment on her. In other words, Clark was her brother…well adopted brother because she wasn't exactly their biological daughter and she was pretty sure that neither was he. They had all done their studying and knew that the original Superman was a Krytonian orphan and Shayera wasn't sure but she couldn't exactly remember here real parents leading her to believe she was also not of this planet.

None of that mattered though. What mattered was that in a way they were all turning out to be related. So in a way they were all truly a family and family always had each other's backs. They would always be there for one another. So maybe…just maybe…they were meant to fight this war…together as one. She would have to tell Clark later that they were siblings.

"Shayera," John brought her out of thoughts.

Blinking Shayera said, "Yah?"

John smiled knowing that she had been thinking and said, "Hippolyta has something to give the team before we land." Shayera nodded, grabbed his hand, and followed him into the pilot's room.

Everyone else was already there still somewhat half asleep since it was early in the morning. Loana and Clark were holding hands similarly to John and Shayera upfront. Diana and Bruce were standing just left of them with Wally standing in between them holding Diana's hand while leaning against Bruce. He was still sleepy and his red hair was wilder than ever sticking up in random directions. Someone had most likely just waked him up. It was cute really, Wally leaning up against Bruce the tough guy without so much as a reprimand.

"I have a surprise for all of you," Hippolyta finally spoke. She walked over to a low cabinet and opened it up.

"A surprise?" Wally's eyes popped open and he immediately ran to Hippolyta's side.

"Yes," she smiled holding back the urge to hug the boy. She pulled out a moderately sized box and opened it.

Like children hungry for candy, they all swarmed in around the box. Hippolyta almost fell on her butt, almost. She just stood back and let the teens admire their old costumes. Yes, their old costumes. She figured that since they were pretty much all grown up then the costumes would fit them more or less.

"Are these the original?" Bruce raised a brow, feeling the fabric of his old Batman costume.

"The one and only," Hippolyta answered briefly.

Bruce still looked unsure. Looking around, he noticed everyone else seemed happy about their costumes. John and Shayera were already heading to change. Apparently Shayera's costume came with a mace. She seemed most happy about that. Diana stood next to him feeling the heels of her boots…probably checking if they were in good direction. Taking a closer look at his costume, Bruce threw it back in the box and said, "I'm not wearing this."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and asked, "Why?"

Bruce decided to not even dignify the question with a response. He started walking away when Clark left Loana's side abruptly and threw Bruce over his shoulder, both his and Bruce's costume in hand.

Diana watched Clark fly away with Bruce in hand knowing that Clark was most likely going to manhandle Bruce into his costume. There would of course be revenge later. She looked down at Wally who appeared to be sad. She knelt down beside him and asked, "What's wrong Wally."

Looking up Wally answered, "My costume's too big." He held it up to her face so she could see. He was right, it was too big.

"Oh Wally," Diana said comfortingly. "I'm sure we can figure something out." But she wasn't actually sure what they could do. She looked up to the only other person left in the room, Loana, and with her eyes pleaded for help.

Loana, taking a hint, started rummaging through the box. It was mostly filled with paper used to protect the costumes but at the bottom she found a spare costume of just the right size. She pulled it out and stared at the "R" emblem over where the heart is located. The emblem of Robin the Boy Wonder. "Wally," she said smirking. "Do I have a solution for you?"

Shayera and John were the first to return. They walked in hand in hand, Shayera wearing yellow and black, holding a mace, and topping it all off with a hawk mask. John, in simpler clothing, was in green and black tights with a lantern ring on his hand and chest. The man still had not been able to activate the damn thing, but eventually he would.

Clark came in next dragging, yes dragging, Bruce in with him. At the last minute he stood up a cursing under his breath Bruce. Diana gave him a scowl for using such foul language in the presence of a child but she had to admire their costumes.

Both of their costumes were skintight tights. Except that Clark's was red and blue, while Bruce's was black and gray. They were complete opposites, yet they fit together like two puzzle pieces. No wonder they were best friends. "See it's not so bad," Clark tried to reassure Bruce by wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Although that might have been just to make sure he didn't run off and take the costume off.

"Whatever," Bruce folded his arms and looked away. Revenge was a sure thing.

Diana chuckled at their immaturity and grabbed a hold of Wally's hand. "Come on," she said, "let's go change into our costumes."

They walked past Bruce and Clark and Wally stopped to say, "It doesn't look so bad." He paused. "But mine will look better." He ran ahead of Diana into the restroom to change.

Same Time—On Board Air Force One

"Tell me again why we are going to Themyscira," Renegade asked Thorul causing him to inwardly flinch. Time was running out. Dick was regaining control of himself. This had to end as soon as possible, if not now.

Thorul kept his reply short and to the point while still retaining his cryptic way. "Simple, I have a princess to save." _It's happening again, we are on the brink of war._

**A/N So that's it. Hope you all found it at least fairly interesting. Sorry I haven't gotten around to answering your guys questions but hopefully most will answer themselves, if not I will personally answer them. We still have much more about the past to cover, so this might be two more chapter longer than the last time I told you which was five so seven more maybe. Next chapter is about the Amazons and a very surprising scene with Shadow. So review, ask questions, and just give me your feedback. Again sorry for the delay, I will try to update sooner but that might make my chapters shorter. So tell me faster updates and shorter chapters or slower updates and longer chapters.**


	18. The Moment of Truth

**Chapter 18 (The Moment of Truth)**

**A/N Long time no see. Thank you all for reviewing. Don't have much of summary except for it covers a lot. Well as always read and enjoy.**

Wrong. Everything went wrong. What happened? Everything and nothing. Everything went wrong and nothing went right. The Amazons were now free but at what price? They all had to sustain injuries. The Amazons were already in bad condition. In fact, the only thing that gave them the strength to fight back was the return of their queen and princess. If it were not for the group of rebelling Amazons they found, then they would not have come out of this alive.

At that moment, the island was free again. The Amazons owned their land again. Hippolyta was once again declared queen. Their little team had been praised as heroes. But who was missing? Diana had been captured, right before their eyes. Thorul and Renegade, who they had to come to know by, had appeared and taken her away. Nor the feast or celebration could hide the grief everyone, Hippolyta, the team, and Amazons alike, were feeling.

It had all been too easy. All of it had. Bruce stood from his chair at the grand table and left. He ignored the way everyone watched him walk out. How could they celebrate? Everyone was hurt. Shayera almost lost a wing, John finally managed to turn on his ring but almost lost his hand in the process, Clark was weakened by some green rock, Wally sprang his ankle, and Bruce…well Bruce lost Diana. And not to mention the countless injuries the Amazons sustained.

Bruce walked into his assigned guestroom slamming the door. Looking around, angrily his eyes spotted the dresser. Mercilessly, he pushed everything off of it letting it fall to the floor, break, and shatter. Deciding he no longer had anything to lose he ripped the curtains off the windows, flipped the bed over, and tore off all the painting in the room.

Finally collapsing on his knees on the shattered glass, he went over the events of the day. Diana and Loana had surprised him with Wally's costume. His Flash costume had apparently been too big for him, so they gave him the robin costume. It was, if Bruce remembers correctly, the second Robin's costume. It had looked so…umm…cute on Wally. The only changed was the emblem. Wally had insisted it be changed into a lightning bolt.

Then Diana had surprised everyone with her costume. Bruce didn't, but Clark's jaw almost fell to the floor. Loana had to literally snap it shut and then followed with a lecture on respect for women. Shayera just laughed at Loana reprimanding Clark while John, thinking nobody noticed, had looked over Diana. Nobody could blame him or Clark for that matter, when Diana's costume barely covered her. It completely exposed her legs, surrounding them in blue material with silver stars, which rose to a gold belt that overlaid red torso armor held up by a gold chest plate that admittedly barely covered her upper gifts. And to top it all off, she had a golden red starred tiara, silver gauntlets, and red high heel boots with a silver streak parting them through the middle. She had been a real sight for sore eyes.

Then it had all changed. They landed and found the group of Amazons being led by Phillipus, a general Amazon. The Amazons had been hiding and protecting the entrance to Tartarus. Thorul's forces had been trying to break open the entrance and release Hades so naturally Diana being the strongest Amazon had tried to stop them. It had all been a ploy though; Thorul and Renegade had appeared as if from nowhere and started taking them down like dominoes. Renegade had attacked Shayera first, twisting her wing in the process. John seeing that finally grew the willpower to activate his ring. He however let his fear of losing Shayera take over and the ring malfunctioned. It almost blew up his hand. Renegade then proceeded to take out Wally. All it took was a lucky kick to the ankle and Wally was tumbling to the ground. Thorul had personally walked up to Clark and thrown a green rock at his head. Bruce thought he had seen wrong but that tiny rock looked like a boulder hitting Clark's head. It knocked him out immediately. That just left him and Diana to fend off the intruding forces.

Bruce had decided to try and end it all then and there. He jumped at the opportunity to take down Thorul. But he didn't expect him to be trained so well. Thorul had managed to block all his moves and land a few good ones in return. And all the while, he kept taunting Bruce trying to make him angry and it succeeded. Bruce knew he had succeeded. He just didn't know what the consequences would be.

While Thorul distracted Bruce, Renegade fought Diana. She quickly overpowered him with her superior strength or so it seemed. As soon as she let her guard down, Renegade took out a golden lasso and wrapped it around her. It was then that Thorul caught glimpse of the ending battle. He took out a gun and shot at all the team members missing them but it worked in leaving Bruce in a confused state. In that next moment when Bruce caught up to what had just happened Thorul and Renegade had already disappeared, taking Diana with them. Their forces quickly retreated off the island. So in the end, the win had just been by default. Thorul had planned it, probably since he captured the island and they had all fallen for it like a mouse for cheese.

Somehow, Bruce found himself looking into the bedroom's full body mirror. He couldn't recognize his reflection anymore. All he saw was a boy, broken and beaten. Placing his hand on the reflection, he thought it looked familiar. _Beaten and broken_, he thought. The words repeated in his head until he closed his eyes tight to the point where it hurt. Flashes went through his head. An explosion, a warehouse, and a boy dressed in colorful attire. _My soldier, my fault_, the words appeared in his head and he couldn't take it anymore. Tightening his fist, Bruce raised his arm and punched the mirror until it matched how broken he felt. He couldn't even feel the pain of his bloody hand with the mixture of anger and adrenaline running through his veins.

"That has got to hurt," Bruce spun around to see that Clark had snuck up on him. He took a few steps closer saying, "Here let me help."

Bruce found himself retreating closer to the broken mirror. Clark stopped moving closer, looking like a kicked puppy. "No," Bruce said pointedly. "I'll take care of it myself." He stepped around Clark and headed to the nightstand beside the bed.

Clark watched Bruce walk around him with nervous eyes. Tapping his foot and rubbing the back of his neck he said, "We need to talk."

"About?" Bruce said pulling out the adhesive medical tape to wrap around his hand.

"Diana," Clark looked down.

"We'll find her," Bruce reassured without really reassuring.

"I don't doubt that," Clark looked up somewhat hesitantly, "but there's something you need to know about us."

Bruce's heart skipped a beat and he went rigid. He had hoped never to have this confrontation not with Clark at least. He might lose control and do something he regrets.

Clark noticed, only because he's Bruce's friend, the sudden change in his posture. He must already know what he's talking about so no point in building up to it. "It's about the kiss Diana and I had." Bruce flinched, ha I knew it, Clark thought. "I know you saw it."

"I see a lot of things," Bruce said nonchalantly, barely containing his anger. He'd punch Clark but he couldn't afford to further injure his hand.

Rolling his eyes Clark walked up to Bruce and shook him by the shoulders. "Damn it, Bruce I know you're dying of jealousy here. Why don't you show it?"

Surprisingly, Bruce gathered enough strength to push his best friend hard enough to fall to the ground. "Of course I am!" he shouted. "But what can I do?! She chose you!" He pointed accusingly. "And now that's she gone you of all people are boasting about it!"

Before Bruce could add anything else, he was tossed across the bed with Clark lying on top of him… hugging him? It was probably the first time Bruce ever considered himself dumbfounded. "Umm…what are you doing?" he asked awkwardly.

Clark nuzzled his head into Bruce's shoulder and said, "I knew it. I knew you had feelings in there somewhere. It's about time you showed it. God, but it took a lot to get you to."

"I…I…don't understand," Bruce said.

Clark partially let get just enough to look Bruce in the eyes. "Ok it's my turn to apologize. I'm sorry but you're gonna get pretty pissed at what I'm about to say."

"Just spit it out already," Bruce glared. "And get off of me."

"No can do," Clark shook his head. "This is for my own protection."

"Fine, then just get on with it."

"Ok."

"…"

"The kissed was planned. It was setup to get you to open your eyes and make you jealous. It took me a while to figure it out but I know Diana planned it that way too."

Bruce was about to speak but Clark quickly covered his mouth with one hand. "Wait before you speak and go all berserk just know that I'm sorry. I… I didn't know this would happen. I didn't know what circumstances we were going to land in. And I'm sorry because I know you love her and don't look at me like that! I know it for a fact. You admitted it to me the first time we fought Shadow at our graduation." Clark stopped to catch his breath. "So are we still friends?"

Bruce said something but it was muffled by Clark's hand. "I'm sorry," Clark let go, "what was that?"

"Best friends," Bruce sat up and did something unexpected. He hugged Clark…of course it only lasted about two seconds but it was a hug nonetheless.

Clark knew he was smiling like an idiot and this would spoil the moment but he just had to say it, "Come on let's go save your girlfriend." Bruce frowned at the title but agreed.

Cadmus—Same Time

"We have to get out of here," Tim said shaking the unmovable bars of his cell.

"There's no point," Selina said from across the hall in her cell, "give it up boy wonder. We are stuck here until, hopefully, when the Justice League reunites and then we'll be free with death's sweet bliss."

"Not him," Lois corrected from the cell next to Selina. "He's the only one of us who isn't dying when they reunite."

"Wait what?" Tim asked confused. "I thought we were all dying."

"Not you," Daphne spook in the cell beside his. "There's been a change in plans."

"What change?" Tim asked, curiously.

"Doctor Fate that's the change," Steve spoke on the other adjacent side of his cell.

"What did he do?" Tim asked.

"He made a trade," Ray spoke up from the same cell. They were sharing due to the lack of space. However, Ray had an inhibitor collar on to prevent the use of his powers, same with Cassie who was sharing a cell with Selina.

"Tim," Cassie spoke, "Fate traded his soul for yours. He's giving you a second chance. You're going to live."

"But why me?" Tim asked. "Why'd he choose to trade me?"

"Because we asked him to," Selina spoke. "He said he was willing to trade his soul with one of us and we all chose you because you're the youngest and have the most to live to."

"But Ray's young too," Tim turned to face his cellmate.

Ray chuckled. "I'm not that young," he said, "not as young as you. Trust me I'm older than I look. My powers just keep me looking like a twenty year old."

"So then how old are you?" Tim couldn't help but ask.

"That's not important," Ray answered. He stood up and put a hand on his shoulder. "What matters is that when you get out of here, because trust me you are, you have to make sure to end this. You have to look after those teens. The same teens I'm proud to call my students."

"Use everything we have taught you," Cassie said bringing back some memories of how each and every one of them taught him something important. Cassie taught him strength, Steve taught him control, Lois strength in words, Ray intellect, Selina flexibility, and Daphne well Daphne taught him how to cook. But all in all they were his family and he was about to lose them so it was no surprise he found himself sobbing into Ray's shoulder.

"I don't want to lose another family," Tim cried out.

"You've never lost one," Lois spoke. "No matter what happens everyone you love is always with you even if you can't see them."

"Why does this sound like a goodbye speech?" Tim wiped his tears.

"Because it is kiddo," Steve spoke. "We're dying. We can feel it. The kids are getting closer to the Martian as we speak. It's only a matter of time. We're all tired already…well given our age that just might be natural but the feeling is all there."

Selina stepped as close to her cell gate as possible to speak to Tim. "Son," she said because that was what he was to her, "you need to leave today, but just know that we love you and it's time. The truth needs to come out. You need to tell her. Tell Shadow the truth. Tell her who she is. My poor granddaughter is lost and only you can find her."

"I will but first I have to get out," Tim replied.

"Oh that's easy," Selina said pulling a pin out of her hair and tossing it to him. "I'm sure that even that can pick that nasty old lock."

Tim looked at the pin in his hand and asked, "You had this all this time?" She nodded. "Then why didn't you use it?"

"There was no point, no meaning for me to use it," Selina answered. "But I'm sure you can give it meaning. Now go."

Tim didn't hesitate. Quickly he picked the lock and pushed the cell gate open. He looked around to each member of his family. "Are you guys sure you don't want to come with?" he asked hoping for a sudden change of mind.

"No," Daphne answered for all of them. "Our time is up. It's up to you now. This is your destiny. Stop him. Make us proud."

"Of course," Tim said softly.

"Tim," Selina called him to her cell. He walked up to it and unlocked it. She ran out and hugged him, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I love you. You're my son you know that right?"

"I know that. Just like I know you're my mom since you took me in. I love you too." They found themselves slipping to the ground in each other's grasps.

"Promise me Tim," Selina pleaded. "Promise me you'll go and won't turn back. Don't feel like our deaths are your fault ok? Because they're not. We chose it to be this way so that you and those kids can have a second chance. You are to look after them. Promise me."

"I promise," Tim hugged her tightly. "Do you promise to be with me?"

Selina stood them both up. "Always," she gestured to his chest. "We'll always be with you. Now go," she said.

Tim took one final look at his family and yelled Goodbye before he decked it out of there. It was time to save the world and he could swear he heard his family clapping back there.

Running through all the hallways and up staircases, Tim found it weird that the place was empty. That is until he made it to the top level. All the guards were currently in a fight with…Shadow. She already had most of them out, sprawled all over the floor. She looked up from her current fight with three guards and caught glimpse of Tim. She smiled and quickly jumped over her opponents.

"Tim!" she yelled too gleefully to believe. She ran up to him and enveloped him in a tight hug. "I got your message, very subtle by the way."

"What are you doing here?" Tim asked, feeling a blush on his cheeks.

"Saving you," Shadow answered. "It's time for the moment of truth. You're going to tell me who I am."

"Glad you finally caught up," Tim said punching a guard who tried to sneak up behind them. Shadow just smiled at that. "So you got a plan?" He asked joining the battle now heading towards the exit.

"I always have a plan," Shadow answered. "Just count yourself lucky you're a part of it."

Tim snorted. "Yah I'm the lucky one."

"Here," Shadow said handing Tim his utility belt, "you're going to need it if we want to get out of here alive."

"Wasn't planning it any other way," Tim said with a wink.

Novacity—Same Time

Thorul pushed Diana into a room in his mansion. He hadn't been there in years but obviously there was a visitor. Someone had gone through his files and taken some very important documents. Things were starting to fall apart, he could feel it. It was now or never. The end was near. The question was. Who's end? Who would win and who would go down? Surely a group of adolescents couldn't beat him. They didn't last time so why now?

Diana seemed to sense his nerves and said, "So you doubt the outcome." It wasn't a question. She knew he was having second thoughts on how this would end. "You know they're going to come for me and then this will finally be over."

Thorul regained his intimidating posture and said, "You seem to believe you'll be alive that long."

"Why wouldn't I?" Diana asked not at all scared.

"You still haven't figured it out, have you?" Thorul asked. "You don't know who I am."

"I don't care who you are anymore," Diana replied. "All that matters is that you're the enemy and we are going to lock you away."

"Trust me, the last time someone locked me away I didn't stay put."

"I don't understand what this has to do with me."

"At first neither did I," Thorul admitted. "But then I figured it out. You are Bruce's greatest weakness. I thought it was Wally but was I wrong. He might feel protective of him due to his young age but you're the one he loves. And love is weakness. Without you he'll be nothing."

"Pray do explain," Diana crossed her legs to the maximum point she could with the lasso wrapped around her torso.

Thorul smiled. "You're quite the smart one. Trying to get me to talk, it must be a shock because I was planning on telling you anyways." Diana didn't faze. "Well, Diana as I have said this has all happened before. Maybe not exactly the same but the basics were the same. Now picture this.

"Forty years ago, this all started with a simple initiation gathering if I must say. It was the recruiting of the younger generation of heroes who let's say graduated and were able to finally become full time members of the Justice League. Little did they know that their introduction into the League was going to be cut short.

"As if on cued time, a group of villains known as the Injustice League sabotaged their party in front of the Hall of Justice from up above. Yes they arrived in helicopters. The members of this criminal team up don't matter since they all died shortly after. What matters is that they were stopped by the new recruits who then thought it was safe to roam the world with their guards down. They couldn't have been anymore wrong since it led to their demise.

"This happened around the time of the upcoming of a new and highly intellectual politician. Want to guess who? No. Well it was me. I had for years tried to rid the world of evil using not so approved of methods and even though it worked better than any other method around it still wasn't enough. So I made a plan but it involved power which I did not have. I needed to gain the peoples' trust and support so I went about blaming everything bad in this world on metas both hero and villain alike. And to my surprise the people supported me. I really did not expect it to go that far. But since it did I moved on to stage two of my plan.

"Just a few short months later the president held a gala to celebrate his second inauguration into office. Who was this president? He was probably the second maddest man in the world, next to the Joker. None other than Lex Luthor himself. He needed to be taken care of. So I contacted some connections I had to have him taken out. At his gala at which the Justice League was invited to, a very notorious group of assassins showed up and killed Luthor and some other rivaling politicians of mine. This is what I considered to be the turning point in my campaign.

"Next election, I used this incident against the League. I knew they couldn't have stopped the assassination if they tried but the public didn't. I told them the League let Luthor die because he was their enemy and they saw him as deserving this untimely end. They swallowed it up like fish to water. A few months later I won the election by a landslide and my genocide began. The genocide of both villains and heroes alike and with the people in the palm of my hand there was nothing that could have stopped me.

"One by one the members of the League were exterminated and so were all rounded up villains. Of course, though, my time as president would soon come to an end. And I couldn't just let that happen. I had to take action. I went to the one man I knew who could maintain my youth and change my appearance for as long as I pleased. Ra's al Ghul. His personal plastic surgeons have altered my appearance each election and his pits have maintained my youth.

"But then another problem arose. He wanted to stop my use of his pits. I couldn't allow that. So I investigated all there was to know about him. I discovered that in his early years before the practice of bathing in the pits for a certain amount of time was established, he would just go in and get out as he pleased. Little did he know that using the pits repeatedly at a close proximity of time addicted the body to it and so the solution was simple. All I had to do was extract him from the waters long enough for him to dry out. And so it worked and he was no longer a problem. I just made sure to use the pits at a moderate level so that my body wouldn't suffer the same effects. And so the years passed and look at where we're at now."

"You're crazy," Diana concluded. "No I'm sorry I meant to say completely psychotic. But there is one thing I don't understand. Why do all this? Why go through all these drastic measures just to rid the world of metas?"

"Why do you think?" Thorul answered with a question. "I did it for him."

Diana wasn't sure but she hoped he didn't mean the _him_ she knew.

"Now princess," Thorul stood her up, "it's time for you to meet a friend of mine." He paused looking around. "Renegade." He called and the assassin appeared by his side almost instantaneously. But there was something different about him. His blue eyes twitched and his fingers were just slightly trembling. It almost looked like as if he was regaining control. "Renegade," Thorul cleared his throat. "I think it's time Diana here meets Armageddon."

**A/N Finally new chapter. It's not much but it's something. So if you guys haven't noticed yet, Tim is not going to die and Shadow is now good. Next chapter will have some truths Tim reveals to Shadow about her family and also the League is going to free Martian Manhunter finally. This is basically wrapping the story up. There will be a few more chapters with probably the next or the one after revealing Thorul's identity but it should be pretty obvious by now. So review as always.**


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